Back to Work

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Preparation</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about <em>preparation</em>.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br /> Over 30 million stock photos, illustrations, vectors, and videos </li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] PDFpen Scan+: Scanning and OCR for iPad and iPhone</a><br />PDFpen Scan enables you to scan multi-page documents, articles, receipts, and more, using the iPhone or iPad camera. Scans are cropped, sized to standard paper sizes, and visually enhanced for legibility. PDFpen Scan includes OCR (optical character recognition), making it possible to copy the text in a scanned document for use in another document or email message, or to export a PDF containing searchable text to a variety of popular cloud services. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/gruber/status/764694708" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / gruber: This CableCARD stuff is just ...</a><br />This CableCARD stuff is just weird. Two hours after Comcast tech left, second card started working. Still no HBO ( </li><li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/12/22/bt.germs.breed.on.plane/" class="link" target="_blank">6 places germs breed in a plane - CNN.com</a><br />A random sampling of 327 unnamed domestic and international aircraft caused a stir in 2004 when some water samples tested positive for E. coli, one strain of which is the leading cause of food poisoning in the U.S. Coffee and tea are brewed on board with such water and don't typically reach hot enough temperatures to kill E. coli. When bottled water runs out, some planes have been known to fill fliers' glasses from the tank. </li><li><a href="http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/checkpoint-friendly-laptop-bags" class="link" target="_blank">"Checkpoint Friendly" Laptop Bags | Transportation Security Administration</a><br />To help streamline the security process and better protect laptops, TSA recently encouraged manufacturers to design bags that will produce a clear and unobstructed image of the laptop when undergoing X-ray screening. A design that meets this objective will enable TSA to allow laptops to remain in bags for screening. </li><li><a href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/HC693ZM/A/incase-13-city-collection-briefcase-for-macbook-pro" class="link" target="_blank">Incase 13" City Collection Briefcase for MacBook Pro - Apple Store (U.S.)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/130658-steam-room-disadvantages/" class="link" target="_blank">Steam Room Disadvantages | LIVESTRONG.COM</a><br />The hot, humid environment of the steam room is an ideal environment for many germs and fungi. Highly trafficked or poorly cleaned steam rooms are particularly likely to be unsafe. If you do choose to use the steam room, make sure it has been recently cleaned. Follow the advice given by "Newsweek," and never enter a sauna with bare feet. Wear rubber shower shoes, or flip flops, to prevent athlete's foot. </li><li><a href="http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/steam-room-disadvantages-2042.html" class="link" target="_blank">Steam Room Disadvantages | Healthy Living - azcentral.com</a><br />A warm and wet environment is a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. A steam room acts as an expectorant and may cause your nose to run. If a previous user had a cold or cough, his germs may be growing in the steam room. According to Mayo Clinic.com, life-threating infections like MRSA can thrive in these environments. Protect yourself by washing hands and feet upon entering and leaving. In addition, use a towel or other protective barrier between your skin and the seats inside. </li><li><a href="http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/steam-room-vs-sauna" class="link" target="_blank">Steam room vs. sauna | Go Ask Alice!</a><br />Also, beware that steam rooms provide ideal breeding conditions for various infection-producing microbes. For example, athletes' foot or other fungal infections can be better avoided if you wear a towel and shower shoes or flip flops in the steam room (and in the sauna, for that matter). </li><li><a href="http://www.aetv.com/duck-dynasty/" class="link" target="_blank">Duck Dynasty - Episodes, Video & Schedule - aetv.com</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Marc_Maron_Thinky_Pain/70273401" class="link" target="_blank">Watch Marc Maron: Thinky Pain Online | Netflix</a><br />Known for hi

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Traveling Like a Gentleman.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin revisit the travails of air travel. How to prepare, how to survive--and how to be a better and more mindful person along the way.</p> <p>Also, some timely discussion of this morning's Apple product announcements.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://avatron.com/yyz" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Air Display 2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on the iTunes App Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.hostgator.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Web Hosting Services, Reseller Hosting, VPS Hosting, and Dedicated Servers by HostGator</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/squarespace-for-musicians" class="link" target="_blank">Squarespace for Musicians — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />With audio collections, you can upload music directly to Squarespace and easily share your albums from your website, complete with a beautiful, integrated player and album art display. To add an audio collection, log into your website and click “Add Page” under the Content area of your site manager. Select “Album”, then upload your album art and music files by dropping them directly into the collection. Squarespace recognizes the metadata of your audio files, so information like song title and artist name will be populated automatically. </li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/new-template-design-forte" class="link" target="_blank">New Template Design: Forte — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />Forte provides a powerful way to display your portfolio with full-screen imagery, putting your best shots front and center, then allowing visitors to navigate to projects they want to see. It’s a template that’s especially well suited for creative firms, designers, or artists. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/scottjohnson/status/392714734639652864" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / scottjohnson: So lets see what I got here ...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/mpu/160" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Mac Power Users #160: Getting Ready for Mavericks</a><br />David and Katie talk about getting your Mac ready for OS X Mavericks. </li><li><a href="http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/mac-pro" class="link" target="_blank">Mac Pro - Buy Mac Pro Computers - Apple Store (U.S.)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/macbook-pro" class="link" target="_blank">MacBook Pro - Buy MacBook Pro with Retina display - Apple Store (U.S.)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/" class="link" target="_blank">Apple - iPad mini with Retina display</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad-air/" class="link" target="_blank">Apple - iPad Air</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/" class="link" target="_blank">Apple — iPad — Compare iPad models.</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/maxvoltar/status/392725042238197760" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / maxvoltar: Apple now sells 20 different ...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.crewoutfitters.com/products/luggage/t-p-flight-crew-4-22-rollaboard.html" class="link" target="_blank">Travelpro Flight Crew 4 22" Rollaboard - Luggage - Products</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.redoxx.com/air-boss/91018/product" class="link" target="_blank">Red Oxx Air Boss Carry-on Bag Designed for 1 Bag Business Travelers.</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/American_Airlines/American_Airlines_MD-80_B.php" class="link" target="_blank">SeatGuru Seat Map American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (M80)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/airport/n41324/" class="link" target="_blank">Airport | Video | Saturday Night Live | NBC</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03dfl06/Digital_Human_Series_4_Wander/" class="link" target="_blank">BBC iPlayer - Digital Human: Series 4: Wander</a><br />Now that off-grid is on-grid and we can send emails from mountaintops, have we sacrificed the pleasure of travelling to discover new places and ourselves? </li><li><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-we-cry-on-planes/280143/" c

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Learning the Wheres and Whens of Productivity</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about learning from how you work to improve your basic productivity infrastructure, with specific attention to using Perspectives in <a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus">OmniFocus</a>.</p> <p>Whether it's consolidating shopping lists, eliminating task rot, or leveraging geolocation, there are innumerable tricks for lightly tweaking a system in powerful, non-fiddly ways.</p> <p>Also: learn Dan's Unified Field Theory of Grocery Shopping.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.hostgator.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Web Hosting Services, Reseller Hosting, VPS Hosting, and Dedicated Servers by HostGator</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/squarespace-for-musicians" class="link" target="_blank">Squarespace for Musicians — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />With Audio Collections, you can upload music directly to Squarespace and easily share your albums from your website, complete with a beautiful, integrated player and album art display. To add an Audio Collection, log into your website and click “Add Page” under the Content area of your site manager. Select “Album”, then upload your album art and music files by dropping them directly into the collection. Squarespace recognizes the metadata of your audio files, so information like song title and artist name will be populated automatically. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/140" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #140: Silicon Circus</a><br />TOPIC: Special Guest, Matt Alexander This week, Merlin is joined by Bionic co-host, Matt Alexander. They discuss ““technology ecosystems,”” life as a self-described trans-atlantic, tech scenes that thrive and don't, dating someone from Florida (and her Mum), and getting back into Marvel comics. Special guest Matt Alexander. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/systematic/65" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Systematic #65: Mimicking Normalcy with Merlin Mann</a><br />Merlin Mann joins Brett to talk about caffeine replacements, feeling normal and mature approaches to nerding out. </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/64118227192/ex-men-wolverine-yeah-like-im-not-gonna-link" class="link" target="_blank">[VIDEO] "Ex-Men: Wolverine"</a><br />Wolverine gets fired for cause. </li><li><a href="http://www.petfinder.com/pet-care/rabbit-care/care-domestic-rabbits/" class="link" target="_blank">How to Care for Domestic Rabbits - Petfinder</a><br />Rabbits may be easy to love, but they’re not quite as easy to care for. These lovable, social animals are wonderful companions for people who take the time to learn about their needs. Though providing care for these adorable creatures isn’t difficult, rabbits have a long lifespan—more than 10 years—and many specific care requirements. Anyone considering adding a rabbit to their family should carefully research books and web sites on rabbit care before making a decision. </li><li><a href="http://www.usingomnifocus.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Using OmniFocus | Mastering Productivity</a><br />Creating Flow with OmniFocus helps you build your day to do the things you want to do with a clear mind. Learn to easily guide your work, play, and productivity throughout the days, weeks, and years using the strength of OmniFocus, the most powerful task management system made. Creating Flow with OmniFocus guides you from the basics to the most advanced uses one step at a time. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OmniWeb" class="link" target="_blank">OmniWeb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />OmniWeb is a proprietary Internet web browser developed and marketed by The Omni Group. It is available exclusively for Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X operating system. Although it is not open source, like many of its competitors in the Macintosh alternative browser market - Mozilla's Firefox and Camino, for instance - OmniWeb is available as a free download. </li><li><a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/576262/swan#ref165937" class="link" target="_blank">swan (bird) -- Encyclopedia Britannica</a><br />Male swans, called cobs, and females, called pens, look alike. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chard" class="link" target="_blank">Chard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Char

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Special Guest, Matt Alexander</p> <p>This week, Merlin is joined by <a href="http://5by5.tv/bionic"><em>Bionic</em></a> co-host, <a href="https://twitter.com/mattalexand">Matt Alexander</a>. They discuss ““technology ecosystems,”” life as a self-described <em>trans-atlantic</em>, tech scenes that thrive and don't, dating someone from Florida (and her Mum), and getting back into Marvel comics.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. </li><li><a href="http://mailroute.net/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] MailRoute: Email Protection - Spam and Virus Filtering Services</a><br />MailRoute is a secure, hosted email filtering service that you can have up and running in minutes. There's no hardware or software to install - just sign up, change your mx record, and you're protected! </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/mattalexand" class="link" target="_blank">Matt Alexander (mattalexand) on Twitter</a><br />Matt Alexander@mattalexand Person on the Internet. Founder of Need (http://needlifestyle.com ). Coming soon. Dallas/London · one37.net </li><li><a href="http://tearawaytrousers.com" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Bionic</a><br />Bionic is a show dedicated to the analysis of competing technological and media ecosystems. With a specific view toward the mobile landscape, your two co-hosts bring years of Apple experience to a new world of context and insight.Hosted by Matt Alexander and Myke Hurley. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/people/matt-alexander" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Matt Alexander</a><br />Matt Alexander is the founder of OneThirtySeven. Born and raised in London, Matt now lives and works in Dallas, where he's working on his forthcoming startup, Need. </li><li><a href="http://one37.net/author/" class="link" target="_blank">OneThirtySeven - Author</a><br />Born and raised in London, England, Matt Alexander has spent the last seven years living in Dallas, Texas. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785168206/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">All-New X-Men, Vol. 1: Yesterday's X-Men: Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen: 9780785168201: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.twocatscomicbookstore.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Two Cats Comic Book Store - Two Cats Comic Book Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlinmann/comics/view" class="link" target="_blank">Collectorz.com Connect: merlinmann: My Comics</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/bionic/51" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Bionic #51: United Queendom</a><br />"Matt and Myke do not know what they have done here. There was some discussion about Moto X and some other small topics—but it's mixed in between absolute insanity. Enjoy!" (The episode where Merlin kinda fell in love with Matt) </li><li><a href="http://needlifestyle.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Need</a><br />Need Is a One-Of-A-Kind Men's Publication, Retailer, and Subscription Service Launching Later This Year. </li><li><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/love/filmmore/fd.html" class="link" target="_blank">American Experience | Summer of Love | The Film and More | Film Description | PBS</a><br />American Experience presents Summer of Love, a striking picture of San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district during the summer of 1967 -- from the utopian beginnings, when peace and love prevailed, to the chaos, unsanitary conditions, and widespread drug use that ultimately signaled the end. </li></ul><p>This week's episode of [<em>Back to Work</em>][b2w link] is kindly sponsored by:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://mailroute.net/b2w">MailRoute</a> (15-day free trial -- AND get 10% off for the lifetime of your account with promo code <strong><code>BACKTOWORK</code></strong>)</li> <li><a href="http://squarespace.com/b2w">Squarespace</a> (use discount code <strong><code>GOBLIN</code></strong> for 10% off)</li> </ul>

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Grab Bag, plus Tasks vs. Calendar Items</p> <p>This week Dan and Merlin administer an epic grab bag episode, chockablock with new app, book, podcast, and music suggestions.</p> <p>Also, a return to the evergreen topic of <em>where stuff goes</em>. How to decide whether a given thing goes on a calendar, a todo list, reference files, or an alarm. Great ninja stuff.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://avatron.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Air Login, Air Display, Air Sharing: useful mobile apps | Avatron Software</a><br />Now you can connect to your Mac from anywhere! Plus, you can connect to any number of computers at the same time. </li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] PDFpen Scan+: Scanning and OCR for iPad and iPhone</a><br />PDFpen Scan enables you to scan multi-page documents, articles, receipts, and more, using the iPhone or iPad camera. Scans are cropped, sized to standard paper sizes, and visually enhanced for legibility. PDFpen Scan includes OCR (optical character recognition), making it possible to copy the text in a scanned document for use in another document or email message, or to export a PDF containing searchable text to a variety of popular cloud services. </li><li><a href="http://mailroute.net/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] MailRoute: Email Protection - Spam and Virus Filtering Services</a><br />MailRoute is a secure, hosted email filtering service that you can have up and running in minutes. There's no hardware or software to install - just sign up, change your mx record, and you're protected! </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/62423513928/charli-xcx-superlove-official-video" class="link" target="_blank">[VIDEO] Charli XCX - “SuperLove” </a><br />Merlin's enthusiastic pick for pop hit of the year. </li><li><a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus/" class="link" target="_blank">OmniFocus - The Omni Group</a><br />OmniFocus 2 for iPhone sports a brand new look just for iOS 7, and a new, uniform color set so you always know what you’re looking at. Enter multiple actions even faster with Save . At-a-glance Summary Dots and a peek at your Forecast on the home screen make every glance more informative. With iOS 7's Background App Refresh, syncing happens in the background. Find important actions with Search Anywhere, and get more done with OmniFocus 2. </li><li><a href="https://members.nerdgap.com/order-evernote-essentials/" class="link" target="_blank">Evernote Essentials, The Definitive Getting-Started Guide for Evernote</a><br />I call it Evernote Essentials and – as that name implies – it’s everything you need to both get started with and master the powerfully useful tool that is Evernote. </li><li><a href="http://marked2app.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Marked 2 - Smarter tools for smarter writers</a><br />Marked is a previewer for Markdown files. Use it with your favorite text editor and it updates every time you save. With robust features for previewing, reviewing and exporting beautiful documents, you can work in plain text while reveling in rich formatting. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/mpu/157" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Mac Power Users #157: Security Problems and Solutions</a><br />In this episode, David and Katie cover frequent security problems and offer their solutions. </li><li><a href="http://marked2app.com/help/Whats_New.html" class="link" target="_blank">Marked Help (What's new in Marked 2)</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.plainenglish.co.uk/about-us.html" class="link" target="_blank">Plain English Campaign - About us</a><br />Since 1979, we have been campaigning against gobbledygook, jargon and misleading public information. We have helped many government departments and other official organisations with their documents, reports and publications. We believe that everyone should have access to clear and concise information. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/_DavidSmith/status/385094225861574656" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / _DavidSmith: I wrote a free app for looking ...</a><br />I wrote a free app for looking at the motion data tracked on the 5s. Essentially turning your phone into a pedometer </li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pedometer++/id712286167?mt=8&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR" class="link" target="_blank">Pedometer++ for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on the iTunes App Store</a><br />Take advantage of the the new

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Informal Background Self-Quantization</p> <p>This week Dan & Merlin discuss the merits of <em>self-quantization</em>. Which is fancy way of saying, "Merlin got a new Fitbit."</p> <p>Why is anecdotal self-reporting a sucker's bet? What are the benefits of making your life a little video game? And, why is Merlin's scale accessing APIs via the internet?</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.hostgator.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] HostGator</a><br />HostGator is a leading provider of web hosting, reseller hosting, vps hosting, and dedicated servers. Over 8,000,000 websites trust HostGator for their web hosting needs. </li><li><a href="http://www.busymac.com/busycal/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] BusyCal</a><br />BusyCal is an award winning calendar app that provides powerful time-saving productivity tools in a friendly, personalized, easy-to-use package." </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/amplified/72" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Amplified #72: I Have to Shiv a Guy at 7</a><br />This week, Jim is joined by Back to Work's Merlin Mann to talk about hands-on experiences with Apple's new iPhone 5s and 5c and iOS 7. Including a deep dive on Touch ID; how easier security measures could boost iTunes sales; Jim's new-found photo skills with the 5s camera; what Jim looks for in the wiring under his wood; and more. Special guest Merlin Mann. </li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/writing-on-ipad-text-automation/id697865620?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D8&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR" class="link" target="_blank">iTunes - Books - Writing On The iPad: Text Automation with Editorial by Federico Viticci</a><br />"Writing On The iPad: Text Automation with Editorial" demonstrates how Markdown and iOS power users can take their iPad productivity to the next level by crafting automated workflows and scripts to speed up writing, editing, and publishing. </li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/The-Wake/comics-series/10179" class="link" target="_blank">The Wake Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology</a><br />Writer Scott Snyder and artist Sean Murphy explore the horrors of the deep, probe the origins of human history, and leap far beyond to a frightening future. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005LMLZF6/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Runa Focused Energy, Traditional Guayusa Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags: Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food</a><br />Traditional Guayusa is energizing, smooth, and rich, with a hint of natural sweetness, guayusa helps you be awake and alert. Guayusa (why-you-sa) provides balanced, sustainable energy without bitterness, jitters, or crash. </li><li><a href="http://boingboing.net/2013/09/23/video-of-iphone-5s-slow-mo.html" class="link" target="_blank">Video of iPhone 5s' slow-mo - Boing Boing</a><br />At the terrifically fun XOXO Fest in Portland last weekend I met Haddie Cooke and Dan Benjamin of the 5by5 podcast network. They produce two of my favorite podcasts: The Ihnatko Almanac and Latest in Paleo. When I met them, they were hanging out with Duncan Davidson, who had just picked up the iPhone 5s. He was showing how the new 120 fps slo-mo video works. </li><li><a href="http://huffduffer.com/merlinmann/128310" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Amplified #72: I Have to Shiv a Guy at 7 on Huffduffer</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.macpowerusers.com/2013/09/22/mac-power-users-156-editorial-with-federico-viticci/" class="link" target="_blank">Mac Power Users 156: Editorial with Federico Viticci | Mac Power Users</a><br />David and Katie are joined by Federico Viticci of Macstories.net to talk about writing on the iPad and the newest text editor with built in automation functions, Editorial. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BGO0Q9O/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband, Black: Health & Personal Care</a><br />Never stop moving with Fitbit Flex. Wear this slim, stylish device all the time and get the motivation you need to get out and be more active. It tracks steps, distance, and calories burned and shows you how you?re stacking up against your daily goals. At night, it tracks your sleep cycle, helps you learn how to sleep better, and wakes you silently in the morning. Access your stats anytime on your computer, tabl

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Etiquette, Intros, and Endorsements</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the surprisingly complicated topic of <strong>email introductions</strong>.</p> <p>Who emails whom? Who gets cc'd and for how long? How much homework are we making (or accepting)? And, thorniest of all, how do you ““introduce”” someone you'd reeeeeeally rather not introduce?</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. </li><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock</a><br />Stock Photos | Shutterstock: Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography. </li><li><a href="https://www.hostgator.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] HostGator</a><br />Since its establishment in 2002, HostGator has been a world-leading provider of web hosting service. </li><li><a href="http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/27f7/index.htm" class="link" target="_blank">Unicode Character 'LONG LEFT RIGHT ARROW' (U+27F7)</a><br />⟷ </li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/calendars-5/id697927927?mt=8&uo=4&at=11laDR&uo=4&at=11laDR" class="link" target="_blank">Calendars 5 - Smart Calendar and Task Manager with Google Calendar Sync for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on the iTunes App Store</a><br />Calendars 5 is complete re-imagining of what the best mobile calendar experience should be. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BGO0Q9O/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband, Black: Health & Personal Care</a><br />Never stop moving with Fitbit Flex. Wear this slim, stylish device all the time and get the motivation you need to get out and be more active. It tracks steps, distance, and calories burned and shows you how you?re stacking up against your daily goals. At night, it tracks your sleep cycle, helps you learn how to sleep better, and wakes you silently in the morning. Access your stats anytime on your computer, tablet, or from smartphones ? both iPhone and Android. Flex is your perfect companion, and stays with you everywhere - even in the shower. </li><li><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/09/how-walking-inspires-writers" class="link" target="_blank">Path to enlightenment: how walking inspires writers | Books | theguardian.com</a><br />A new book that claims walking and writing are one activity uses great dreamers to make its point, but the walker-writers passing through Connemara seem to have drawn on simpler inspirations </li><li><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Spaced/70220281" class="link" target="_blank">Watch "Spaced" | Netflix</a><br />In this surreal sitcom, slacker artist Tim Bisley and brooding writer Daisy Steiner decide to pose as a young professional couple. The reason? So they can move into an affordable flat, where they do everything possible to avoid adulthood. </li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/post-better-template-switching" class="link" target="_blank">Better Template Switching — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />One of Squarespace's unique strengths is the ability to change your site's template on the fly while keeping all of your data intact. While perfecting this feature has been a challenge, we've recently made significant improvements to the template switching experience on our platform. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003LP342W/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Brass No Soliciting Sign - Amazon.com</a><br />Say in an elegant way, solicitors please, please, stay away. This distinctive and durable handcrafted sign tastefully states your wishes. Our signs are made from hand cast brass. Each is unique. Each custom made. Allow the sign to patina over time for an elegant old world charm or keep it as bright as the day it arrived by periodically buffing it with a Scotch Brite pad. </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213663/combined" class="link" target="_blank">The World's End (2013)</a><br />Good food. Fine ales. Total Annihilation. </li><li><a href="http://www.busymac.com/busycal/"

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Fear of Your Own TODO List</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin cover a topic <a href="https://twitter.com/jeff_nordstedt/status/377802927462969344">suggested by listener, @jeff_nordstedt</a>: <em>not wanting to look at your todo list</em>.</p> <p>From capture to completion, there are a million ways to fall off the path. The boys take a deep dive on what those ways might be as well as how to get yourself straightened out and, as you say, back to work.</p> <p>Honestly. It's why people hate TODO lists. Well. That and the odor.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. </li><li><a href="https://www.warbyparker.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Designer Frames & Online Eyeglasses - $95 Rx Glasses | Warby Parker</a><br />Vintage-inspired prescription eyeglasses starting at $95. </li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/image-metadata-importing" class="link" target="_blank">Image Metadata Importing — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />With this new feature, Squarespace can now autofill the Title, Description, and Tags for your images using the metadata you've already assigned to it in your editor. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/incomparable/157" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Incomparable #157: Bros and Arrows</a><br />An entire comic book about Hawkeye, the lesser Marvel superhero with a bow and arrow? Okay... this looks bad. But seriously, bro, this is one of the very best comics being published today. We cover the first two trade-paperback editions of Fraction and Aja's series, including Lucky the Pizza Dog, 50 Shades of Purple, and how hooking up a laserdisc player is similar to defusing a bomb. Hop on board and join us--we're great at boats. Special guests Dan Moren, Lisa Schmeiser, Merlin Mann, and Tony Sindelar. </li><li><a href="http://i-0.us/x-mann-meetup" class="link" target="_blank">Ungainly X-Mann Meetup! — Merlin Mann</a><br /> A Nerdy SF Comics Event with Merlin Mann, hosted by Two Cats Comics in West Portal. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/jeff_nordstedt/status/377802927462969344" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / jeff_nordstedt: @danbanjamin @hotdogsladies ...</a><br />@danbanjamin @hotdogsladies A modest B2W topic suggestion: Not wanting to look at your to do list. All capture tools in world won’t help. </li><li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/17/hawkeye-matt-fraction_n_3613441.html" class="link" target="_blank">'Hawkeye's' Matt Fraction And David Aja Talk About Their Acclaimed Comic</a><br />I couldn't launch a book with Doctor Strange and Iron Fist and the Silver Surfer and the Hulk, but Pizza Dog sells out </li><li><a href="https://editorial-app.appspot.com/workflows" class="link" target="_blank">Editorial Workflows</a><br />If you view this page on your iPad (with Editorial installed), you can download the linked workflows directly, by tapping on the Install Workflow button on the preview pages. </li><li><a href="http://tweet2cite.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Tweet2Cite</a><br />A quick, easy, and free way to convert a Tweet into various properly formatted citations. Paste a link to the Tweet you want to cite in the field below, click 'Go', and you're on your way! </li><li><a href="http://dansent.me/" class="link" target="_blank">Dansent.me</a><br />Discounts for 5by5 listeners from Dan Benjamin </li><li><a href="http://doesthatlookcleantoyou.tumblr.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Does That Look Clean To you?</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://daringfireball.net/2013/09/iphone_5c_5c_event" class="link" target="_blank">Daring Fireball: Thoughts and Observations on Today's iPhone 5C and 5S Introduction</a><br />Here’s the thing. The iPhone 5C has nothing to do with price. It probably does have something to do with manufacturing costs (which are lower for Apple), but not price. Apple’s years-long strategy hasn’t really changed. </li><li><a href="http://onethingwell.org/" class="link" target="_blank">One Thing Well</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee_County,_Florida" class="link" target="_blank">Manatee County, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Manatee County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Its 2010 population was about 300,000.[1] Its

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Joss Whedon GTD; Meeting Redux</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about getting specific with your productivity and why every meeting needs an agenda.</p> <p>Now, <em>take a drink</em>.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. </li><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock</a><br />Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art </li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/5by5" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] PDFpen by Smile</a><br />Mac PDF Editor - Edit, Sign, and Correct PDFs - PDFpen is a powerful Mac PDF editor </li><li><a href="http://i-0.us/x-mann-meetup" class="link" target="_blank">Ungainly X-Mann Meetup! — Merlin Mann</a><br />A Nerdy SF Comics Event with Merlin Mann, hosted by Two Cats Comics in West Portal. </li><li><a href="http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683167/how-to-be-prolific-guidelines-for-getting-it-done-from-joss-whedon" class="link" target="_blank">How To Be Prolific: Guidelines For Getting It Done From Joss Whedon | Co.Create | creativity + culture + commerce</a><br />The writer-producer-director who made Much Ado About Nothing while editing The Avengers, and who’ll return to TV this fall with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., knows a bit about “getting things done.” In fact, he cites David Allen’s book of that title as an important guide--even if he never finished reading it. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/29" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #29: I Download FLAC</a><br />With Dan on sabbatical, Merlin is joined by TV’s Rob Corddry (Children’s Hospital, The Daily Show, Hot Tub Time Machine) to talk about Getting Things Done, writing, fear, and finding success as a blood-soaked clown. Special guest Rob Corddry. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/115" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #115: Invitation to a Blame Party</a><br />TOPIC: Fixing the Culture of MeetingsThis week, Dan and Merlin address the problems with meetings, and how we can each choose to improve them. </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/combined" class="link" target="_blank">The Cabin in the Woods (2012)</a><br />Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods. </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/60034827675/iso-ditko" class="link" target="_blank">[VIDEO] "In Search of Steve Ditko" </a><br />Jonathan Ross: "His name is, 'Steve Ditko.' And, I’m going looking for him." </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Search_of_Steve_Ditko" class="link" target="_blank">In Search of Steve Ditko - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Ross, accompanied by Gaiman, met Steve Ditko at his New York office but he declined to be photographed or interviewed for the show. He did however give the two a selection of some of his old comic books. At the end of the show Ross said he has since spoken to Ditko on the telephone and was now on first name terms with him. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/WriterRyan/status/373177195566362624" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / WriterRyan: @hotdogsladies @danbenjamin ...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://slabbulkhead.com/post/59778744262/the-unofficial-back-to-work-drinking-game" class="link" target="_blank">The Unofficial "Back to Work" Drinking Game - Hey, Slab!</a><br />Created through the help of the jackals. I strongly recommend that you lie down on your stomach after you finish so you don’t go like Jimmy Hendrix did. Also, maybe throw that sucker in a randomizer and cut it down to 20 or so per category so your liver doesn’t explode. Yeesh. </li><li><a href="http://dhammatalks.org/mp3_index.html#2001" class="link" target="_blank">.mp3 audio Dhamma talks archive page - dhammatalks.org</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gIUgkXSVlo" class="link" target="_blank">[VIDEO] A 1982 roundtable discussion with John Landis, John Carpenter, and David Cronenberg</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorf" class="link" target="_blank">Gorf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Gorf consists of five distinct "missions", each with its own patterns of enemi

<p>TOPIC: Talk Shows, Baseball, and Inboxes.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin cover a range of topics related to expertise, experience, professional repetition, and management, culminating in a tour of Merlin's current email filtering strategy.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://i-0.us/x-mann-meetup" class="link" target="_blank">Ungainly X-Mann Meetup! — Merlin Mann</a><br />A Nerdy SF Comics Event with Merlin Mann, hosted by Two Cats Comics in West Portal. </li><li><a href="http://www.economist.com/news/business/21583592-businesspeople-would-be-better-if-they-did-less-and-thought-more-praise-laziness" class="link" target="_blank">Schumpeter: In praise of laziness | The Economist</a><br />Yet the biggest problem in the business world is not too little but too much—too many distractions and interruptions, too many things done for the sake of form, and altogether too much busy-ness. The Dutch seem to believe that an excess of meetings is the biggest devourer of time: they talk of vergaderziekte, “meeting sickness”. However, a study last year by the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that it is e-mails: it found that highly skilled office workers spend more than a quarter of each working day writing and responding to them. </li><li><a href="http://thenudge.com.au/episode7/" class="link" target="_blank">Ep 7: Humour, comedy and benign violation - The Nudge</a><br />How does the world of humour effect what we do in our jobs? We speak to an expert about the science of humour and comedy, the right time to use humour in design and how to judge it better. We also try to find out if analysing a thing too much can kill it. </li><li><a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/08/26/214921209/letterman-and-tonight-vet-go-behind-the-scenes-of-late-night" class="link" target="_blank">Letterman And 'Tonight' Vet Go Behind The Scenes Of Late Night : NPR</a><br />Fred de Cordova: "If you do one show a year or one show every three months or one show every four months, you have an awful lot of time to realize what a failure you've been," he said. "But we do kind of a baseball season: We do a show one night and we hope it's wonderful, and if not that, we hope it's good and we hope it isn't bad. But even if it's a great show or even if it's not such a good show, we do another show the next night and we have no time, except in self analysis, to decide why it wasn't good or even why it was very good." </li><li><a href="http://sfist.com/2013/08/26/rim_fire_at_234_square_miles_and_co.php" class="link" target="_blank">Rim Fire At 234 Square Miles And Counting; SF Power And Water Supplies Threatened: SFist</a><br />It is only 15 percent contained, and pushing quickly toward the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and O'Shaughnessy Dam, San Francisco's primary sources of water and power. Two of three hydroelectric power stations have been forced to shut down, and SF's public utility commission has begun buying power on the open market. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001VZC5LA/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Ledwholesalers 400 Nm Uv Ultra Violet Blacklight Flashlight 3 Aaa, 7301uv400: Home Improvement</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000UH0MZG/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Sharpie Type Invisible Ink UV Marking Pen Marker: Everything Else</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%40danbenjamin%20%23squarespace&src=typd" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / Search - @danbenjamin #squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_de_Cordova" class="link" target="_blank">Frederick de Cordova - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Frederick "Fred" Timmins de Cordova (October 27, 1910 - September 15, 2001) was an American stage, motion picture and television director and producer. He is best known for his work on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneyball" class="link" target="_blank">Moneyball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's analytical, evidence-based

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: How many keys do you really need?</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin return to the question, "What do you want ten times more of?" and weigh the risks and benefits of increasing the amount of complexity in your life.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://omz-software.com/editorial/" class="link" target="_blank">Editorial for iPad</a><br />Powerful Markdown Editing and Workflow Automation for iPad </li><li><a href="http://www.macdrifter.com/2013/08/editorial-for-ipad-a-landmark-in-ios-text-editors.html" class="link" target="_blank">Editorial for iPad: A Landmark in iOS Text Editors</a><br />If that gets you curious, then read on. I have something wonderful to show you. </li><li><a href="http://www.macstories.net/stories/editorial-for-ipad-review/" class="link" target="_blank">Reinventing iOS Automation: Editorial Review</a><br />Ole Zorn knows how to push the boundaries of iOS. His latest app, Editorial for iPad, redefines the market of text editors for iOS, and, in many ways, sets a new standard for iOS automation and desktop-class apps. Editorial makes me want to work from my iPad. </li><li><a href="http://www.busymac.com/busycal/index.html" class="link" target="_blank">BusyCal</a><br />BusyCal supports iCloud, Exchange, Google Calendar, and other CalDAV servers, enabling you to sync and share your calendars with other Macs running BusyCal or the built-in Calendar app on OS X, as well as iPhones and iPads running the built-in Calendar app on iOS. </li><li><a href="http://omz-software.com/pythonista/index.html" class="link" target="_blank">Pythonista</a><br />Bring the Zen of Python to iOS. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/incomparable/154" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Incomparable #154: Seahorse on Line One</a><br />Do you like stories, love, and life? Then even if you're not a regular comic book reader, you should read "Saga," by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. (Unless naked robot sex disturbs you, in which case you shouldn't.) We cover the horns and the wings, bad connections on the interstellar cellphone network, seahorse agents, super space high school, a frog with a banjo, the wisdom of hiring a ghost as your babysitter, and much more. </li><li><a href="https://pilotmoon.com/popclip/extensions/" class="link" target="_blank">PopClip Extensions</a><br />Add extra actions using PopClip extensions.Download extensions from this page, then double click to install. </li><li><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/ep-81-it-tastes-like-the-forest.html" class="link" target="_blank">Ep. 81: "It Tastes Like the Forest" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann</a><br />The Problem: Cruising now is part of John’s lifestyle. </li><li><a href="http://practicaltypography.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Butterick’s Practical Typography</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://practicaltypography.com/equity.html" class="link" target="_blank">Butterick’s Practical Typography (Equity Type Face)</a><br />Equity is used for body text in this book. Equity was orig­i­nal­ly de­signed for le­gal writ­ers, but any pro­fes­sion­al writer can benefit from its many conveniences: </li><li><a href="http://practicaltypography.com/concourse.html" class="link" target="_blank">Butterick’s Practical Typography (Concourse Type Face)</a><br />Concourse is the sans serif font used in this book—for headings, side­bars, tech­ni­cal in­struc­tions, and elsewhere. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0093ICOE0/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Watchmen Collector's Edition: Ultimate Cut + Graphic Novel [Blu-ray]: Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Zack Snyder: Movies & TV</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone</a><br />This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model. </li><li><a hr

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Fraud vs. Failure</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin dive into what makes us feel like frauds and what makes us feel like failures.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_Year_One" class="link" target="_blank">Batman: Year One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein. It originally appeared in issues </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen" class="link" target="_blank">Watchmen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Watchmen is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins. It was serialized as a limited series by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987, and collected in 1987. Watchmen originated from a story proposal Moore submitted to DC featuring superhero characters that the company had acquired from Charlton Comics. As Moore's proposed story would have left many of the characters unusable for future stories, managing editor Dick Giordano convinced Moore to create original characters instead. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_The_Killing_Joke" class="link" target="_blank">Batman: The Killing Joke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Batman: The Killing Joke is a one-shot superhero graphic novel written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland. Published by DC Comics in 1988, it has remained in print since then, and has also been reprinted as part of the trade paperback DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_and_Nancy" class="link" target="_blank">Sid and Nancy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Sid and Nancy (also known as Sid and Nancy: Love Kills[1]) is a 1986 British biopic directed by Alex Cox. The film portrays the life of Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman), bassist of the seminal punk rock band the Sex Pistols, and his relationship with girlfriend Nancy Spungen (Chloe Webb). </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Halloween" class="link" target="_blank">Batman: The Long Halloween - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Batman: The Long Halloween is a 13-issue comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It was originally published by DC Comics in 1996 and 1997.[1] It was inspired by the three Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials by the same creative team. The entire series has been collected in both trade paperback, and as part of the DC Comics Absolute Editions. The series' success led to Loeb and Sale to reteam for two sequels, Batman: Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome, which parallels the events in Dark Victory. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush_(comics)" class="link" target="_blank">Hush (comics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Hush is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He was usually an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Returns" class="link" target="_blank">The Dark Knight Returns - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The Dark Knight Returns is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Jason, and published by DC Comics. When the series was collected into a single volume later that year, the story title for the first issue was applied to the entire series. The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of Bruce Wayne, who at 55 years old returns from retirement to fight crime and faces opposition from the Gotham City police force and the United States government. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maus" class="link" target="_blank">Maus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Maus is a graphic novel completed in 1991 by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman. It depicts Spiegelman interviewing his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. The book uses postmodern techniques—most strikingly in its depiction of races of humans as different kinds of animals, with Jews as mice, Germans as cats and non-Jewish Poles as pigs. Maus has been described as memoir, biography, history, fiction, autobiography, or a mix of genres. In 1992 it became the first graphic novel to win a

<p>TOPIC: Power, Yelling, and Airport Kung Fu</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of power and how it does or doesn't work.</p> <p>Do real leaders actually talk like the douchebags, serial entrepreneurs, and screamy travelers struggling to imitate them? Not really. That's one way you can tell they're leaders.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://pintofcode.com/blog/2013/8/5/back-to-belgium" class="link" target="_blank">Pint Of Code — Back to Belgium</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/squarespace-for-restaurants" class="link" target="_blank">Squarespace for Restaurants — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/introducing-donations-service-products-and-formproduct-integrations" class="link" target="_blank">Introducing Donations, Service Products, and Form/Product Integrations — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.muleradio.net/mistakes/102/" class="link" target="_blank">Let Us Now Praise Famous Walgreens - Let’s Make Mistakes - Mule Radio Syndicate</a><br />Merlin Mann joins Mike and Jessie to talk about the differences between Walgreen’s they’ve known, and why everyone is always trying to email everyone else. Merlin says bespoke. </li><li><a href="http://www.squarespaceplugins.com/marquee-template/" class="link" target="_blank">New Template: Marquee - Squarespace Plugins</a><br />Squarespace’s latest template, Marquee, helps tell your story in a dynamic, engaging, and fun way. Amplify the narrative of your website and giving your visitors a memorable viewing experience through stunning, full-screen imagery. </li><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/public_lightbox.mhtml?lightbox_id=20470823&code=887ae46978b22515884d86221bafc654" class="link" target="_blank">b2w-131 : Shutterstock Stock Photography</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deja_vu#Related_phenomena" class="link" target="_blank">Déjà vu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Déjà vu, from French, literally "already seen", is the phenomenon of having the strong sensation that an event or experience currently being experienced has been experienced in the past, whether it has actually happened or not. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamais_vu" class="link" target="_blank">Jamais vu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Often described as the opposite of déjà vu, jamais vu involves a sense of eeriness and the observer's impression of seeing the situation for the first time, despite rationally knowing that he or she has been in the situation before. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/bionic/51" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Bionic #51: United Queendom</a><br />Matt and Myke do not know what they have done here. There was some discussion about Moto X and some other small topics—but it's mixed in between absolute insanity. Enjoy! </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/bionic" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Bionic</a><br />Bionic is a show dedicated to the analysis of competing technological and media ecosystems. With a specific view toward the mobile landscape, your two co-hosts bring years of Apple experience to a new world of context and insight. </li><li><a href="http://marvel.com/comics/series/13910/wolverine_the_x-men_2011_-_present" class="link" target="_blank">Wolverine & the X-Men (2011 - Present) | Comic Books | Comics | Marvel.com</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0785156801" class="link" target="_blank">Wolverine & the X-Men, Vol. 1:Amazon:Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0785165053/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1375907277&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY190" class="link" target="_blank">New X-Men Omnibus:Amazon:Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://marvel.wikia.com/Avengers:_The_Enemy_Within_Vol_1_1" class="link" target="_blank">Avengers: The Enemy Within Vol 1 1 - Marvel Comics Database</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://marvel.com/comics/issue/47565/avengers_the_enemy_within_2013_1" class="link" target="_blank">Avengers: The Enemy Within (2013) #1 | Comics | Ma

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Delays</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about delays, agency, power, and why yelling at people about your problems rarely helps anyone.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad" class="link" target="_blank">Yad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />A yad, literally, "hand," is a Jewish ritual pointer, popularly known as a Torah pointer, used by the reader to follow the text during the Torah reading from the parchment Torah scrolls. Beyond its practical usage, the yad ensures that the parchment is not touched during the reading. There are several reasons for this: handling the parchment renders one ritually impure and the often-fragile parchment is easily damaged. Moreover, the vellum parchment does not absorb ink so touching the scroll with fingers will damage the lettering.[1] While not required when chanting from the Torah, it is used frequently and is considered a hidur mitzvah ("embellishment of the commandment" of reading the Torah). </li><li><a href="http://twit.tv/show/this-week-in-tech/416" class="link" target="_blank">This Week in Tech 416 | TWiT.TV</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.muchmusic.com/" class="link" target="_blank">New Music Videos | Watch Shows Online | Entertainment News & Celeb Gossip - MuchMusic.com</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nerdist.com/2013/06/nerdist-comics-panel-4-wolverine-season-one/" class="link" target="_blank">Nerdist Comics Panel #4: Wolverine: Season One « Nerdist</a><br />Comics Edition #4: Celebrating the release of Wolverine: Season One, written by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker. Adam Beechen hosts, Wolverine creator Len Wein weighs in, and NWP Comics Edition co-host Heath Corson wears a tuxedo. Recorded live at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood on June 6, 2013. </li><li><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/ep-78-driving-lesson-costume.html" class="link" target="_blank">Ep. 78: "Driving Lesson Costume" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann</a><br />The Problem: I can text more picture. </li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Hawkeye/comics-series/8445" class="link" target="_blank">Hawkeye Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology</a><br />The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster AVENGERS film and self-made hero Hawkeye fights for justice! He's out to prove himself as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! </li><li><a href="http://katewillaert.tumblr.com/post/55730797694/one-more-superhero-costume-infographic-for" class="link" target="_blank">One more superhero costume infographic for...</a><br />One more superhero costume infographic for HalloweenCostumes.com, completing the trilogy that began with Iron Man and Superman. </li><li><a href="http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/index.jsp" class="link" target="_blank">SFO - San Francisco International Airport - Home Page</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://apps.tsa.dhs.gov/mytsa/cib_results.aspx?search=nitrogen" class="link" target="_blank">My TSA - "Search Results For: NITROGEN"</a><br />"Item Not Found" </li><li><a href="http://www.welovefine.com/6056-pizza-is-my-business.html#.UfhO02TEoug" class="link" target="_blank">Pizza is My Business</a><br />Art by David Aja </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_the_Animals" class="link" target="_blank">Feed the Animals - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li></ul><ul> <li><a href="http://www.busymac.com/busycal/" title="BusyCal is an award winning calendar app that provides powerful time-saving productivity tools in a friendly, personalized, easy-to-use package.">BusyCal</a></li> <li><a href="http://igloosoftware.com/b2w" title="Igloo intranets are built around your content: everything from blog posts to Word documents">Igloo Software</a></li> <li><a href="http://shutterstock.com" title="Stock Photos | Shutterstock: Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography.">Shutterstock</a> (use discount code “<strong><code>backtowork7</code></strong>” for 30% off any package)</li> </ul>

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Lists</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about 3½ kinds of lists that can change your game.</p> <p>Merlin knows a lot about Productivity.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_(typeface)" class="link" target="_blank">Interstate (typeface) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Interstate is a digital typeface designed by Tobias Frere-Jones in the period 1993–1999, and licensed by Font Bureau. The typeface is closely related to the FHWA Series fonts, a signage alphabet drawn for the United States Federal Highway Administration in 1949. </li><li><a href="http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Brother's_Little_Helper/Quotes" class="link" target="_blank">Brother's Little Helper/Quotes - Simpsons Wiki</a><br />'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't just go ““OFF”” Focusyn!' </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiksa" class="link" target="_blank">Shiksa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/pastebot-command-copy-paste/id344614116?mt=8" class="link" target="_blank">Pastebot — Command Copy & Paste for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store</a><br />Pastebot is a powerful new clipboard manager that stores text and images copied from your iPhone/iPod Touch. Copy something you want to save, run Pastebot and it automatically gets imported for you to access later. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodfellas" class="link" target="_blank">Goodfellas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Goodfellas (stylized as GoodFellas) is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The film follows the rise and fall of Lucchese crime family associates Henry Hill and his friends over a period from 1955 to 1980. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/movies/1" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | 5by5 at the Movies #1: Goodfellas</a><br />Dan Benjamin and John Siracusa discuss Goodfellas. </li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eVqdnDk02Y" class="link" target="_blank">Goodfellas - Tommy's mother's house - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Keep_on_the_Borderlands" class="link" target="_blank">The Keep on the Borderlands - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The Keep on the Borderlands is a Dungeons </li><li><a href="http://bergcloud.com/littleprinter/" class="link" target="_blank">Little Printer | BERG Cloud</a><br />Little Printer lives in your home, bringing you news, puzzles and gossip from friends. Use your smartphone to set up subscriptions and Little Printer will gather them together to create a timely, beautiful miniature newspaper. </li><li><a href="http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone</a><br />This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rogues_Gallery" class="link" target="_blank">The Rogues Gallery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The Rogues Gallery was a supplement listing hundreds of pre-generated non-player characters for use by the Dungeon Master, including characters from all the standard first edition AD </li><li><a href="http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2009/04/retrospective-rogues-gallery_16.html" class="link" target="_blank">GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: The Rogues Gallery</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/one-year-of-squarespace-6" class="link" target="_blank">One Year of Squarespace 6 — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />One year ago today we launched Squarespace 6, a culmination of our best thinking in content management and site publishing coalesced over eight years of running Squarespace. This launch resulted in a period of growth like we’ve never seen before: The number of customers using Squarespace 6 surpassed the number of Squarespace 5 customers within nine months of launch. That’s only nine months to exceed what initially took eight years to create. Consider us exceptionally proud. </li><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/public_lightbox.mhtml?lightbox_id=20186099&code=4c73d78ff8a3be589bcae45fc29

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Time Awareness & Scope Wormholes</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about why we (and Frank) are terrible at estimating time, as well as what we can do to get better at it.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://filetransporter.com/btw" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Transporter</a><br />Transporter (use code "btw" for 10% off) </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/107" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #107: Pull Out Your Dingus</a><br />This week, Dan and Merlin talk about compression. What happens when we don't account for how long something really takes to do? And, worse still, what if we don't think about what has to happen before we can even start it? </li><li><a href="http://barfblog.com/2013/07/parasites-in-cat-poop/" class="link" target="_blank">Parasites in cat poop | barfblog</a><br />Each year in the United States, cats deposit about 1.2 million metric tons of feces into the environment, and that poop is carrying with it what may be a vast and underappreciated public health problem, say scientists July 9 in the journal Trends in Parasitology, a Cell Press publication. </li><li><a href="http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/2013/7/2/can-washroom-soap-can-make-you-sick.html" class="link" target="_blank">Can Washroom Soap Can Make You Sick? - Blog About Infographics and Data Visualization - Cool Infographics</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Royale_(film)" class="link" target="_blank">Battle Royale (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Battle Royale is a 2000 Japanese action thriller film adapted from the 1999 novel of the same name by Koushun Takami. It is the final film directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the screenplay written by his son Kenta, and stars Takeshi Kitano. The film tells the story of Shuya Nanahara, a high-school student struggling with the death of his father, who is forced by the government to compete in a deadly game where the students must kill each other in order to win. The film aroused both domestic and international controversy and was either banned outright or deliberately excluded from distribution in several countries. </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266308/combined" class="link" target="_blank">Battle Royale (2000)</a><br />In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law" class="link" target="_blank">Hofstadter's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Hofstadter's Law was a part of Douglas Hofstadter's 1979 book Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. The law is a statement regarding the difficulty of accurately estimating the time it will take to complete tasks of any substantial complexity.[2] It is often cited amongst programmers, especially in discussions of techniques to improve productivity, such as The Mythical Man-Month or extreme programming.[3] The recursive nature of the law is a reflection of the universal experience of difficulty experienced in estimating complex tasks despite all best efforts, including knowing that the task is complex. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month" class="link" target="_blank">The Mythical Man-Month - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering is a book on software engineering and project management by Fred Brooks, whose central theme is that "adding manpower to a late software project makes it later". This idea is known as Brooks' law, and is presented along with the second-system effect and advocacy of prototyping. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-system_effect" class="link" target="_blank">Second-system effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The second-system effect (also known as second-system syndrome) refers to the tendency of small, elegant, and successful systems to have elephantine, feature-laden monstrosities as their successors due to inflated expectations.[1] </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning_fallacy" class="link" target="_blank">Planning fallacy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The planning fallacy is a tendency for people and organizations to underestimate how long they will need to complete a task, even when they have experience of similar tasks over-running. The term was first proposed in a 1979 paper by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky.[1][2] Since then the effect has been found for predictions of a

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Employers, Bosses, Leaders, and Managers</p> <p>This week—in what may easily turn into a multi-episode arc—Dan and Merlin talk about <em>bosses</em>.</p> <p>Whether we're looking at it from up <em>or</em> down, management is tricky business. The question is, what makes a boss a good manager, and what makes a good manager a great leader?</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/stories?channel=podcast&subchannel=5by5&source=backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br />Use code "**`LITTLEKNIVES`**" for 10% off. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1455509124/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love: Cal Newport: 9781455509126: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />In this eye-opening account, Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice. Not only is the cliché flawed-preexisting passions are rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work-but it can also be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. After making his case against passion, Newport sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving what they do. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers. Matching your job to a preexisting passion does not matter, he reveals. Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it. </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/combined" class="link" target="_blank">Thor (2011)</a><br />The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785161082/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Journey Into Mystery Featuring Sif - Volume 1: Stronger Than Monsters (Marvel Now): Kathryn Immonen, Valerio Schiti: 9780785161080: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />An all-new journey begins, starring Sif...the Berzerker?! She may be a Lady, but girly ain't her style! When the latest crop of beasties beset Asgard, our sword-slinging heroine leads the battle charge - but that no-holds-barred zeal for glory may be the very thing that brings the realm down around her winged helm! Finding herself newly minted with an ancient version of the Berzerker spell, Sif returns to an unsuspecting Midgard...and with no patience for relative peace, starts putting out fires with gasoline! And things heat up even further when our heroine falls in with a group of brutal Asgardian savages - and joins them in their millennia-old battle against monsters! But can the berzerkers keep their bloodlust in check? Guest-starring the Superior Spider-Man and a collection of Marvel superstars! </li><li><a href="http://muffpunch.tumblr.com/post/55008370201/the-owner-yells-out-is-that-for-me-whenever-i" class="link" target="_blank">When 140 characters aren't enough. - The owner yells out “IS THAT FOR ME!" whenever I...</a><br />The owner yells out “IS THAT FOR ME!" whenever I put a call through to anyone, no matter where he is in the office. Then he gets mad when he gets to his desk and can’t see which line the call (that’s not for him) is on, then when he finds out the call was not, in fact, for him, he again gets mad and says, “Well why’d you call me!?" even though his name was never said, ever. Then he goes back to cutting his toenails or eating the office peanut butter right out of the jar. </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/54862346989/one-down" class="link" target="_blank">Congratulations, Cap. | kung fu grippe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koala_Kare_changing_table_open.JPG" class="link" target="_blank">File:Koala Kare changing table open.JPG - Wikimedia Commons</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Equus_(film)" class="link" target="_blank">Equus (film) - Wikiquote</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/incomparable/144" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Incomparable #144: Hangin' With the Totes</a><br /></li><li><a href="http:/

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: How many Saturdays do you get?</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about time. Its scarcity, its passing, its tyranny, and its possibilities.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://agiletortoise.com/drafts?utm_source=b2w&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Drafts - Agile Tortoise</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/stories" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://filetransporter.com/btw" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Transporter | Data Redefined</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-01/ending-the-tyranny-of-the-open-plan-office" class="link" target="_blank">Ending the Tyranny of the Open-Plan Office - Businessweek</a><br />The key to making workers happy and productive is having a mix of spaces for different activities. Gensler found that workers spend more than half their time at work in deep focus and about one-fourth in collaboration, with the rest split between learning, socializing, and other tasks. Of course, office workers still spend most of the day at their desks, but when it’s time to do some hard-core collaborating or learning, moving to a different environment can help them shift gears. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1455528048/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love: Cal Newport: 9781455528042: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Satellite-Sam-1/digital-comic/43881" class="link" target="_blank">Satellite Sam #1 - Comics by comiXology</a><br />The star of beloved daily television serial "Satellite Sam" turns up dead in a flophouse filled with dirty secrets. The police think it was death by natural causes but his son knows there was something more? if only he could sober up long enough to do something about it. This noir mystery shot through with sex and violence exposes the seedy underbelly of the golden age of television. </li><li><a href="http://www.imagecomics.com/content/view/sex-death-and-live-tv" class="link" target="_blank">Image Comics - SEX, DEATH, AND LIVE TV</a><br />Their new Image Comics seriesSATELLITE SAM, debuting in July, takes a look at the darkness behind the small screen when, in 1951, Carlyle Bishop, the star of the beloved serial _Satellite Sam_ turns up dead in a filthy flophouse. </li><li><a href="http://satellitesam.tumblr.com/post/54517975376/satellite-sam-1-on-sale-now" class="link" target="_blank">Satellite Sam • • SATELLITE SAM #1 - ON SALE NOW</a><br />We’ve been quiet and decidedly un-posty here at Satellite Sam World HQ but don’t let that stop you from checking the book out today, either in stores on at comixology. there’s a midtown variant, too, and below is an Image Expo exclusive that went out yesterday in San Francisco. </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/54498404947/moloid-love" class="link" target="_blank">Big Week Not gonna lie. Little shaky, here. What... | kung fu grippe</a><br />Not gonna lie. Little shaky, here. What a gentleman. I definitely need to lay down. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/hotdogsladies/status/319261754213421056" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / hotdogsladies: @draftsapp You’re doing God’s ...</a><br />@draftsapp You’re doing God’s work. Seriously. Easily one of the best iOS apps I’ve ever used. </li><li><a href="http://agiletortoise.com/blog/2013/07/01/drafts-and-drafts-for-ipad-3-dot-0-6/" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts and Drafts for iPad 3.0.6 - Agile Tortoise</a><br />New - Custom actions now support [[line|1]], [[line|2]], etc. tags to reference specific line numbers. This should be useful to create a few more structured types of custom actions. See tag docs for details.New - Custom actions now support [[created|format]], [[modified|format]] tags. These work the same as the “date” tag, but return the creation and modification dates for the draft, rather than the current time. See tag docs for details. </li><li><a href="http://agiletortoise.com/support/drafts/templates.html" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts: Templates and Tags - Agile Tortoise</a><br />Drafts custom actions support a number of tags for dynamically inserting text when an action is performed. These can be used in most fields that accept text in Email, Message, Dropbox, Evernote and URL actions. </li><li><a href="http://actions.getdrafts.com/" c

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: There are Only Two Prices: <em>Free</em> and <em>What It Costs</em></p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin return to the classic lineup and some classic topics, including knowing your value, learning what to charge, and realizing what you can live with.</p> <p>Also: jury duty, traveling, bathrooms, the sliding scale of suffering, and what-have you.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.filetransporter.com/btw" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Transporter | Data Redefined</a><br />Transporter is a private cloud storage device for syncing, sharing, accessing, and protecting your digital life. No cloud, no fees, no privacy concerns. Your files are only stored on your Transporters and computers and mobile devices that you authorize. </li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. (Use offer code "**`BMO`**" for an additional 10% off) </li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/PDFpen" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] PDFpen: Mac PDF Editor - Edit, Sign, and Correct PDFs</a><br />PDFpen is a powerful Mac PDF editor: add text, images, and signatures to PDFs, make corrections on a PDF, fill out PDF forms, OCR scanned pages. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/124" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #124: The Tuesday Afternoon Version of Me</a><br />TOPIC: The Chinese Symbol for 'Pants' Inside of The Chinese Symbol for 'Jury Duty.'This week, Dan's away, so Merlin goes solo, taking a break from jury duty to talk about the opportunities that can be hiding inside change, inconvenience, and tumult. </li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Hawkeye-11/digital-comic/42683" class="link" target="_blank">Hawkeye #11 - Comics by comiXology</a><br />Marvel.com description: "Pizza is my Business - …before it’s too late for us. THE breakout character of 2012… becomes the breakout character of 2013... as PIZZA DOG gets his own issue.Literally… the entire issue… it’s all from the dog’s point-of-view.Pizza Dog gets hired to solve a crime -- the grizzly murder that shocked Team Hawkguy -- and the only thing more shocking than THAT… is what happens the end of THIS.Seriously. This is not a joke! Even the coloring. Dog issue. We’re all gettin’ fired. PLEASE READ…" </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785165622/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon (Marvel NOW!): Matt Fraction, David Aja, Javier Pulido: 9780785165620: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton - aka the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice! With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he's out to prove himself as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a packet of incriminating evidence - before he becomes the most wanted man in the world. You won't believe what is on The Tape! What is the Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that spans the globe...and the darkest parts of Hawkeye's mind. Barton and Bishop mean double the Hawkeye and double the trouble...and stealing from the rich never looked so good. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785165630/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Hawkeye: Little Hits, Vol. 2: Matt Fraction, David Aja, Javier Pulido: 9780785165637: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />Artist David Aja returns to the most critically acclaimed comic of 2012, as ace archer Clint Barton faces the digital doomsday of - DVR-Mageddon! Then: Cherry's got a gun. And she looks good in it. And Hawkeye gets very, very distracted. Plus: Valentine's Day with the heartthrob of the Marvel Universe? This will be...confusing. Marvel architect Matt Fraction continues his exciting, adventurous reinvention of the arrowed Avenger! </li><li><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/ep-76-the-cherry-of-somebodys-appeal.html" class="link" target="_blank">Roderick on the Line, Ep. 76: "The Cherry of Somebody's Appeal"</a><br />The Problem: This is why John can’t go to karaoke. </li><li><a href="http://blog.persistent.info/2013/06/getting-all-your-data-out-of-google.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PersistentInfo+%28persistent.info%29" class="link" target="_blank">persistent.info: Getting ALL your data out of Google Reader</a><br />Reader has Takeout support, bu

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: The Chinese Symbol for 'Pants' Inside of The Chinese Symbol for 'Jury Duty.'</p> <p>This week, Dan's away, so Merlin goes solo, taking a break from jury duty to talk about the opportunities that can be hiding inside change, inconvenience, and tumult.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br /> Over 25 million stock photos, illustrations, vectors, and videos </li><li><a href="https://agilebits.com/onepassword/ios" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] 1Password for iOS</a><br />Have you ever forgotten a password? 1Password can remember them all for you and keep them secured behind your Master Password. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1455528048/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love: 9781455528042: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/so-good-they-cant-ignore-you/id500983111?mt=11" class="link" target="_blank">iTunes - Books - So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport</a><br />In this eye-opening account, Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice. Not only is the cliché flawed-preexisting passions are rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work-but it can also be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. </li><li><a href="http://kk.org/cooltools/archives/12088" class="link" target="_blank">Cool Tools – So Good They Can’t Ignore You</a><br />“Follow your passion” is the dogmatic advice for building a career. But it is woefully incomplete and even misleading for some people. Better advice is “Become so good they can’t ignore you” </li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb09RYnSNOw" class="link" target="_blank">A Time Traveller's Primer: Ryan North at TEDxUofT - YouTube</a><br />Ryan North is the author of the long-running Dinosaur Comics (qwantz.com), the acclaimed Adventure Time comic series (kaboom-studios.com), and the recordbreaking To Be Or Not To Be: That Is The Adventure (hamletbook.com) a choose-your-own-path re-imagining of Hamlet. He also coedited the bestselling Machine of Death anthology (machineofdeath.net). </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/123" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #123: I Want to See Your Face the Whole Time (LIVE)</a><br />This week—after 122 episodes, plus almost a decade of internet pal-dom—Dan and Merlin finally meet and record in a room together for the first time. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voir_dire" class="link" target="_blank">Voir dire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />'Voir dire' is a legal phrase that refers to a variety of procedures connected with jury trials. It originally referred to an oath taken by jurors to tell the truth (Latin verum dicere), i.e., to say what is true, what is objectively accurate or subjectively honest, or both. It comes from the Anglo-Norman language. </li><li><a href="http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/admonition" class="link" target="_blank">admonition legal definition of admonition. admonition synonyms by the Free Online Law Dictionary.</a><br />Any formal verbal statement made during a trial by a judge to advise and caution the jury on their duty as jurors, on the admissibility or nonadmissibility of evidence, or on the purpose for which any evidence admitted may be considered by them. A reprimand directed by the court to an attorney appearing before it cautioning the attorney about the unacceptability of his or her conduct before the court. If the attorney continues to act in the same way, ignoring the admonition, the judge will find him or her in Contempt of court, punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both. In criminal prosecution, before the court receives and records the plea of the accused, a statement made by a judge informing the accused on the effect and consequences of a plea of guilty to criminal charges. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785124209/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Daredevil: End of Days (9780785124207): Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz: Books</a><br />Revealed at last...how it all ends for the Man Without Fear! In the near future, the Kingpin and Daredevil have been murdered - but that's just the beginning of the story. Investigative reporter Ben Urich has one last story to write...what was Matt Murd

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: First Meeting, Gifts, and Grifts</p> <p>This week—after 122 episodes, plus almost a decade of internet pal-dom—Dan and Merlin finally meet and record in a room together for the first time.</p> <p>With only passing nods to the nominal topic of "gifts," Dan and Merlin mostly get to know each other.</p> <p>Why is Dan staring so penetratingly at Merlin? Does Dan think Merlin is fat as well as old? Why does Dan keep looking at his phone? Does that look clean to you? Whose show is it, <em>really</em>? Is John Siracusa slender or sickly? Why can't I show you the sole of my shoe? Should we stand up? Who am I thinking of? Is it hot in here or is it just me? Which one am I?</p> <p>Also, <em>bathrooms</em>.</p> <p>Inarguably, a Very Important Episode™.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="https://tonx.org/pushatonx" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Tonx Coffee</a><br />Tonx sources, roasts, and ships to your door every-other-week some of the freshest and finest beans on earth. Sign up now for The Standard (or bigger) subscription to Tonx and we’ll throw in another great tool: a FREE Aeropress! ($30 value). </li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/?channel=podcast&subchannel=5by5&source=backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br />Everything You Need to Create an Exceptional Website. (Use offer code "**`BMO`**" for an additional 10% off) </li><li><a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/omnipresence/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] OmniPresence - The Omni Group</a><br />OmniPresence is the best way to sync all of your documents across all of your devices. And it works on most web hosts, including OS X Server, which means you can store all of your data yourself. </li><li><a href="http://www.hark.com/the-aviator/does-that-look-clean-to-you" class="link" target="_blank">Does That Look Clean to You? Sound Clip and Quote - Hark</a><br />Howard: Does that look clean to you? Ava: Nothing's clean, Howard. But we do our best, right? </li><li><a href="http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%245000+in+1950+dollars" class="link" target="_blank">$5000 in 1950 dollars - Wolfram|Alpha</a><br />$48,792 in 2013 dollars. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/jsnell" class="link" target="_blank">Jason Snell (jsnell) on Twitter</a><br />Editorial director for @Macworld/@TechHive/@PCWorld. @theincomparable podcaster. Writer, primate, parent. Mill Valley, CA · intertext.com </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322600/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" class="link" target="_blank">Glen Glenn - IMDb</a><br />Trivia: Founder of Glen Glenn Sound Systems which has been used for sound in over 20,000 motion pictures to date. </li></ul><p>This week's episode of <a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w" title="5by5 | Back to Work - Hosted by Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin"><em>Back to Work</em></a> is kindly sponsored by:</p> <ul> <li><p><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" title="Build a Website - Squarespace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.">Squarespace</a> (Use offer code "<strong><code>BMO</code></strong>" for an additional 10% off)</p></li> <li><p><a href="http://tonx.org/pushatonx" title="Being a Dad is often about having the right tools. And one great and essential tool for proper father fitness is having some good, fresh coffee. Tonx sources, roasts, and ships to your door every-other-week some of the freshest and finest beans on earth - backed up by legendary customer service. Sign up now for The Standard (or bigger) subscription to Tonx and we’ll throw in another great tool: a FREE Aeropress! ($30 value).">Tonx</a> (Sign up for a Standard (or bigger) subscription by Father's Day, and get a FREE Aeropress)</p></li> <li><p><a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/omnipresence/" title="OmniPresence is the best way to sync all of your documents across all of your devices. And it works on most web hosts, including OS X Server, which means you can store all of your data yourself.">OmniPresence</a> (The best way to sync all of your documents across all of your devices)</p></li> </ul>

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Loyalty, Altruism, Reality Check, or Extortion?</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about what we talk about when we talk about "<em>loyalty</em>."</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock</a><br />Stock Photos | Shutterstock: Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography. </li><li><a href="http://lessmeeting.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Less Meeting</a><br />Less Meeting helps you improve meeting planning, running meetings, and meeting follow-up. Less Meeting improves your ability to plan a meeting with meeting agenda templates and it helps you improve meeting minutes and action item follow-up. </li><li><a href="http://backblaze.com/5by5" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Backblaze</a><br />Easiest online backup service for $5 month unlimited storage. Backblaze's remote backup automatically backs up your data to our secure datacenter. 15 day free trial. </li><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmymarks/sets/72157630650600696/" class="link" target="_blank">Graceland - a set on Flickr (Jimmy Marks)</a><br />[[via](https://twitter.com/jimmymarks/status/341964747979235329)] </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140059652/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Elvis: Albert Harry Goldman: 9780140059656: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785142282/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Secret War Brian Michael Bendis, Gabriele Dell Otto: Kindle Store</a><br />Collects Secret War (2004) #1-5. When Nick Fury finds a connection between many of Marvel's deadliest villains, he puts together a team of the most misunderstood heroes for a secret mission to do what the U.S. government could never allow. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/incomparable/136" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Incomparable #136: We Waited 16 Years For This?</a><br />They said it couldn't be done! They said it shouldn't be done! But here we are, talking about "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace." Why are the Jedi such jerks? A little Jedi goes a long way. Also, the biggest letdown of John Siracusa's life to date, stupid droids, good actors being boring, text versus subtext, the merits of prequels in general, and why this is a movie that makes us dream... of a better movie. Exqueeze me? (Part 1 of 2.) Special guests Dan Moren, Greg Knauss, John Siracusa, Monty Ashley, Serenity Caldwell, and Steve Lutz. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/incomparable/137" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Incomparable #137: Go Wash a Droid</a><br />We conclude our discussion of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." We discuss the merits of podracing, debate who the Jedi's version of Fonzie is, and grapple with tricky euphemisms. Plus, is the final lightsaber duel cool or just over-choreographed? And why is there a hall full of forcefields, next to a room with no guard rails? Party on, Darth! (Part 2 of 2.) Special guests Dan Moren, Greg Knauss, John Siracusa, Serenity Caldwell, Steve Lutz, and Monty Ashley. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis" class="link" target="_blank">Toxoplasmosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.[ The parasite infects most genera of warm-blooded animals, including humans, but the primary host is the felid (cat) family. Animals are infected by eating infected meat, by ingestion of feces of a cat that has itself recently been infected, or by transmission from mother to fetus. Cats are the primary source of infection to human hosts, although contact with raw meat, especially pork, is a more significant source of human infections in some countries. Fecal contamination of hands is a significant risk factor. </li><li><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311085151.htm" class="link" target="_blank">Toxoplasmosis Parasite May Trigger Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorders</a><br />The team from the University of Leeds? Faculty of Biological Sciences has shown that the parasite may play a role in the development of these disorders by affecting the production of dopamine -- the chemical that relays messages in the brain controlling aspects of movement, cognition and behaviour. </li><li><a href="http://psychiatry.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2012/1203/6" class="link" target="_b

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Dan's Recent Bathroom Incident, et al.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin exhale. <strong>Don't</strong> search for secret doors.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] TextExpander Touch 2 by Smile</a><br />TextExpander Touch: Type more with less effort on your iPhone or iPad! Expand custom keyboard shortcuts into frequently-used text snippets. Grab your favorite snippets from your Mac! </li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. Use offer code "**`enchiridion`**" for an additional 10% off. </li><li><a href="https://soundcloud.com/1051tunes/unacceptable-condition" class="link" target="_blank">"Unacceptable Condition" by Thenamelessavenger</a><br />"I wanted to teach myself how to use Audiosnap (a timing repair tool) in Sonar. So instead of faking a sloppy take and adjusting for rhythm, i sampled Lemongrab from Adventure Time into an entirely new composition. I am going to bed beaming tonight at how well this came out. Oh my god! I hope you like it too." [[via](https://twitter.com/Josh_Harper/status/339403954817470464) and [via](https://twitter.com/blindeschildpad/status/339404606280957952)] </li><li><a href="http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/whattimeisit/shmowzow/" class="link" target="_blank">Adventure Time - "Shmowzow!" (NOTE: makes noise)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/apps/" class="link" target="_blank">TextExpander touch for the iPhone and iPad: Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You Time!</a><br />iOS app developers: learn more about the free TextExpander touch SDK. </li><li><a href="http://bit.ly/17mxZJf" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts for iPhone</a><br />Drafts, where text starts on iOS. Version 3.0 bring even more power and extensibility to one of the most popular productivity apps on the App Store! </li><li><a href="http://bit.ly/18wBpGd" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts for iPad</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/bencochran/status/339157806865317888" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / bencochran: @danbenjamin @hotdogsladies ...</a><br /><p>@danbenjamin @hotdogsladies I spent way too long fussing with photoshop, but uh:<br/> <a href="http://f.cl.ly/items/3H2D1r441r262n2V0q0q/door-handle2.gif">http://f.cl.ly/items/3H2D1r441r262n2V0q0q/door-handle2.gif</a> …<br/> <a href="http://f.cl.ly/items/3s3m1y3t1F401f312R0V/door-open2.gif">http://f.cl.ly/items/3s3m1y3t1F401f312R0V/door-open2.gif</a> …</p> </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/85" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #85: Schrödinger's Soap Holder</a><br />TOPIC: One Operational Paper Towel; One Safety Paper Towel. This week, Dan and Merlin discuss how to use a public restroom. There's some other stuff, too. But, yeah. Mostly Dan and Merlin discuss how to use a public restroom. </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104348/quotes" class="link" target="_blank">Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) - Quotes - IMDb</a><br />Showing all 62 items </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00080ZG10/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: The Aviator (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition): Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe, Stanley DeSantis, Alan Alda, Kelli Garner, Edward Herrmann, Ian Holm, Danny Huston, Jude Law, Frances Co</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/51565141832/anothercutenerdblog-sirkeren-the-girls-of" class="link" target="_blank">anothercutenerdblog: sirkeren: The Girls Of... | kung fu grippe</a><br />The Girls Of Adventure Time [Cosplay] </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/bencochran/" class="link" target="_blank">Ben Cochran (bencochran) on Twitter</a><br />I make iOS apps for Mobiata. </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338751/combined" class="link" target="_blank">The Aviator (2004)</a><br />A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s. </li><li><a href="http://dailycosplay.com/2013/April/16b.html" class="link" target="_blank">Simon Petrikov and Marcy from Adventure Time - Daily Cos

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: What would you do differently if you had a "safety net?"</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin congratulate their pal, Marco, on the acquisition of a company he helped co-found.</p> <p>Which leads to the nominal topic: what kind of <em>safety net</em> would you need to feel secure, do the things you'd like, and mostly banish the more persistent cumulonimbus clouds of your own anxiety?</p> <p>Many angles are explored. Why was Elvis unhappy? How is habitual Schadenfreude and automatic bile <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/embiggen">ensmallening</a> our culture? Can we ever be—let alone feel—<em>truly</em> secure? And, how much of our old selves do we end up lugging along inside every suitcase we carry?</p> <p>Pretty great episode. Especially if you like the ones where Merlin gets all mad. Those are usually good ones.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br />Sign-up for a free browse account, go to Shutterstock.com, no credit card needed. When you find the images you like and decide to purchase, user offer code "**`DANSENTME5`**" and get 30% off any package. </li><li><a href="http://www.comicsbackissues.com/comic-book-reading-order/" class="link" target="_blank">Comic Book Reading Order | Comics Back Issues</a><br />When it comes to finding a comic book reading order online, the resources out there are either incomplete or “too” complete. Some sites will focus only on trade paperbacks, while others will split books up by page, sending a flashback from 2009 all the way back to 1972. Neither allows you to put your single issues in the order they were meant to be read. It’s with this goal that we set out to create our first reading order, and upon many requests have spread out to many other popular franchises. </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/50784649907/oh-bmo" class="link" target="_blank">Adventure Time - “BMO’s Pregnant Song” (Adventure... | kung fu grippe</a><br />Oh! Oh, BMO!How’d you get so pregnant?“Who’s the mother? Oh, who’s the father?” </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/50735123525/tumbalog" class="link" target="_blank">"That's where 'Tumbalog' comes in." | kung fu grippe</a><br />On February 12, 2007, I pitched my pal, Nelson Minar, on an idea for a web service we could build that would make it easy for people to setup their own mini-site where they could post random bits of text, photos, etc. </li><li><a href="http://www.muleradio.net/thetalkshow/41/" class="link" target="_blank">See You on Larry’s Island - The Talk Show - Mule Radio Syndicate</a><br />Very special guest Merlin Mann joins John Gruber to discuss 43-year-old Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, career-ending injuries for writers and podcasters, and whether Larry Page more resembles a Bond villain or Magneto. In other words, the usual. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/cmdspace/43" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | CMD+Space #43: Option+CMD+H, with Merlin Mann</a><br />This time Myke is joined by Merlin Mann. They have a very 'Back to Work'-esque discussion covering Adventure Time and Comics books (naturally), but with a great discussion around what it's like to work in large companies, living with a routine and why achieving tenure might not be all what it's cracked up to be. </li><li><a href="http://www.marco.org/2013/05/20/one-person-product" class="link" target="_blank">The One-Person Product – Marco.org</a><br />As for me, while I wasn’t a “founder” financially, David was generous with my employee stock options back in the day. I won’t make yacht-and-helicopter money from the acquisition, and I won’t be switching to dedicated day and night iPhones. But as long as I manage investments properly and don’t spend recklessly, Tumblr has given my family a strong safety net and given me the freedom to work on whatever I want. And that’s exactly what I plan to do. </li><li><a href="http://i-0.us/b2w-media-guide" class="link" target="_blank">[UPDATED] " Back to Work Media Survival Guide</a><br />An informal appendix of movies and TV shows that are compulsively quoted or referenced by Dan and Merlin. See? It all makes sense now! </li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcI-2sTCvDY" class="link" target="_blank">Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Harry Tosses Perry's Gun - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/50998906165/just-your-problem" class="link" targ

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Macintosh Nostalgia and Utter Apple ID Madness.</p> <p>This week, after an entirely appropriate amount of very important follow-up, Dan and Merlin talk about Susan Kare's original Mac icons, why they're not going to be appearing on John Siracusa's t-shirt, plus the litany of completely monkeyballs problems that now has Merlin ready to <em>literally</em> shoot his Apple ID in the back of the head, mob-style.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace.com</a><br />Build a Website - Squarespace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. </li><li><a href="http://i-0.us/BTTDL032" class="link" target="_blank">Beyond the To Do List - "Merlin Mann Interview"</a><br />For the 1st time, the origin story behind Back to Work can be told. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/incomparable/140" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Incomparable #140: The Sublime Magicks of Exposition</a><br />No more mutants! We discuss the 2005 Marvel Comics miniseries "House of M," in which writer Brian Michael Bendis gets to show off his love of meetings, Doctor Strange, and meetings chaired by Doctor Strange! Also, there's a crazy "What If?" style parallel universe, approximately a billion spin-offs, and in the cruelest twist, Peter Parker is briefly allowed to be happy. And finally there's a shocking finale that set the tone for mutant storylines up to the present day. Listen before the Scarlet Witch wishes this podcast out of existence!Special guests Andy Ihnatko, Lisa Schmeiser, Merlin Mann, and Moisés Chiullan. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/afterdark/372" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | After Dark #372: No More Merlins: Cut From The Incomparable #140</a><br />Plenty of comics nerdery from The Incomparable's "House of M" episode.Special guests Andy Ihnatko, Jason Snell, Lisa Schmeiser, Merlin Mann, and Moisés Chiullan. </li><li><a href="http://www.creativethink.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Creative Think - Roger von Oech</a><br />Roger von Oech is an author, inventor, and speaker. His seminars and products have enriched the creativity of millions of people around the world. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_von_Oech" class="link" target="_blank">Roger von Oech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Roger von Oech (born Feb. 16, 1948) is an American speaker, conference organizer, author, and toy-maker whose focus has been on the study of creativity. </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/RogervonOech" class="link" target="_blank">Roger von Oech (RogervonOech) on Twitter</a><br />Author (A Whack on the Side of the Head, Creative Whack Pack), inventor (Ball of Whacks, X-Ball, Y-Ball), iPhone/iPad App http://j.mp/cwpap </li><li><a href="https://panic.com/statusboard/" class="link" target="_blank">Status Board (iPad app by Panic)</a><br />You've got data. The news. Your calendar. Active projects and e-mail queues. Sales totals and bug counts. Your data isn't going away. Let's make data beautiful.Status Board takes your data and gives it meaning. Use the easy built-in panels. Or massage your data for our Graph and Table panels. It's going to be awesome. </li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Age-of-Ultron/comics-series/9823" class="link" target="_blank">Age of Ultron Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology</a><br />For years the heroes of the Marvel Universe have lived in fear that the artificial intelligence known as Ultron would one day evolve to fulfill its desire to wipe out all organic life and take over the Earth -- that day has arrived. The Avengers worst nightmare is here-- the Age of Ultron has begun. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Ultron" class="link" target="_blank">Age of Ultron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />"Age of Ultron" (abbreviated AU) is a 10-issue limited series comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, that involves the return of Ultron and his conquest of the earth. </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/50405320613/tug-of-war" class="link" target="_blank">On preventing a tug-of-war</a><br />"By far the best way to prevent a tug-of-war is to not pick up your end of the rope." —Don Lancaster </li><li><a href="http://www.nathanshubert.com/2013/05/13/making-musical-influences-your-own-a-followup/" class="link" target="_blank">Making musical influences your own, a

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Toward an (Admittedly Dubious) Unified Field Theory of Creativity</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin consider a framework for understanding the basic modes and focal lengths involved in producing creative work.</p> <p>Why and how do we get so hung up and frustrated about getting good at what we do? Why's it so hard to take an abstract idea for making something great, then end up feeling pathologically stymied when we struggle to actually <em>make it</em>?</p> <p>The boys return to the classic topic of <em>expertise</em>, especially the frustrating ironies that separate the pro from the amateur from the, as they say, "failure."</p> <p>Also under consideration is Roger Von Oech's fascinating modal, character-based approach to making stuff—acknowledging the very different work of the Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior. But, critically, also striving to keep those characters in the right order and on the right parts of the right task at the right time. Then, knowing when to change things up.</p> <p>Finally, there's a bit of discussion on Merlin's squirrely obsession with <em>focal length</em>—to not only choose the right mode at the right time, but to stay open to the idea of alternately zooming way out and way in at each step of the process. Accepting the benefits and trade-offs of switching between your macro and fish-eye lenses.</p> <p>It's a really good episode—at least way better than it sounds. And, the hosts agree that, until you find a better model for understanding How to Make Stuff, you could do a lot worse than giving this admittedly Byzantine method a spin for yourself.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock.com</a><br />Over 25 million stock photos, illustrations, vectors, and videos. Use code "**`BACKTOWORK5`**" for 30% off. </li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/mye9ot7wx9v5t09/mdm-te-snippets.md" class="link" target="_blank">Selection of Merlin's TextExpander 4 Snippets</a><br />Extremely random stash of Merlin's TextExpander snippets, as mentioned in [*Back to Work*](http://5by5.tv/b2w), [Episode #116](http://5by5.tv/b2w/116). </li><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlin/3970549456/in/datetaken/" class="link" target="_blank">This explains everything | Flickr - Photo Sharing!</a><br />In which Merlin presents his highly dubious Unified Field Theory of Creativity. </li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/49423690622/john-siracusa-on-flu-shots" class="link" target="_blank">[AUDIO] kung fu grippe - "Origin Stories: John Siracusa on Flu Shots"</a><br />5by5 | Hypercritical #38: Virtually Spotless (October 14, 2011) Genesis of The Siracusa Flu Principle. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563893428/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Lynn Varley: 9781563893421: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />Written by Frank Miller. No spoilers, please. </li><li><a href="http://marvel.wikia.com/Pym_Particles" class="link" target="_blank">Pym Particles - Marvel Comics Database</a><br />Dr. Henry Pym originally discovered and isolated a rare group of subatomic particles, which have become known as the "Pym Particles", which could increase or decrease the size and mass of objects or living beings. The Pym Particles work by stunting matter into the Kosmos Dimension when shrinking an subject or accruing extra matter from that dimension when enlarging. </li><li><a href="http://www.comicvine.com/pym-particles/4015-42077/" class="link" target="_blank">Pym Particles (Concept)</a><br />Pym particles first existed in an elixir form that had to be splashed on the object to enlarge or shrink it. Eventually this elixir was made into a gas so if could be quickly aspirated for easier transportation. After accidentally transforming into Giant-Man, Pym further refined the chemical into a variety of color-coded pills. The particles still proved unstable as they trapped Pym at a height of 12 feet. Pym Particles work by the user either shunting mass to the Kosmos Dimension (for shrinking) or taking mass (for growing). </li><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/public_lightbox.mhtml?lightbox_id=18710513&code=fa7827a35df36733933c0f5b3e882573" class="link" target="_blank">camping : Shutterstock Stock Photography</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000M0MJU2/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Intex Raised Downy Queen Airbed with Built-in Electric

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Offices, and when to get out of them.</p> <p>This week—in what will surely be remembered as the greatest <em>Back to Work</em> episode of all time—Dan and Merlin eventually talk about working at a desk and when to take it someplace else.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace.com</a><br />Build a Website - Squarespace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. </li><li><a href="http://illegal-art.net/allday/" class="link" target="_blank">GIRL TALK - ALL DAY - ILLEGAL ART</a><br />All Day is intended to be listened to as a whole. It is broken up into individual tracks only for easier navigation.This album is a free download.Girl Talk thanks all artists sampled. </li><li><a href="http://slugline.co/" class="link" target="_blank">Slugline</a><br />Finally, a simple, elegant app for writing screenplays on your Mac. Slugline is a minimal, distraction-free environment for the most important part of screenwriting—the writing part.There are plenty of apps for your final draft. How about one for your first 99? </li><li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlin/2414886878/" class="link" target="_blank">"Double Fantasy," indeed | Flickr - Photo Sharing!</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/humberto_ramos" class="link" target="_blank">humberto ramos (humberto_ramos) on Twitter</a><br />comic book creator, karaoke singerneverland · https://www.facebook.com/ramos.comic </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_Ramos" class="link" target="_blank">Humberto Ramos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Humberto Ramos (born 27 November 1970) is a Mexican comic book penciller, best known for his work on American comic books such as Impulse, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man and his creator-owned series Crimson. </li><li><a href="http://www.humbertoramos.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Humberto Ramos Official Site</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://atp.fm/" class="link" target="_blank">Accidental Tech Podcast</a><br />A TECH PODCAST WE ACCIDENTALLY CREATED WHILE TRYING TO DO "A CAR SHOW." FEATURING MARCO ARMENT, CASEY LISS, AND JOHN SIRACUSA. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785144005/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Avengers: The Origin (Avengers (Marvel Paperback)): Joe Casey, Phil Noto: 9780785144007: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />Redefining the origin of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Iron Man! Thor! Ant-Man and the Wasp! Individually, each has the power to fight injustice and protect the innocent. But even the strongest heroes can only do so much when they stand alone. When the mischief god Loki uses the rampaging Hulk as his pawn of destruction in his bid to escape exile, it's up to Earth's Mightiest Heroes to stand together and stop him! The adventures of the Avengers echo throughout history, and it all begins here! </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mj%C3%B6lnir" class="link" target="_blank">Mjölnir - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.arkamix.com/vintage-nike/tennis/nike-killshot-1979" class="link" target="_blank">Nike Killshot 1979 / Tennis / Vintage Nike - Arkamix : Nike, jordan ,nike retro, nike air force one, vintage nike, running nike, collector nike</a><br />Virtually identical to Merlin's all-time favorite sneakers. </li><li><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/ep-11-everybody-knew-what-mr-finnell-did.html" class="link" target="_blank">Ep. 11: "Everybody Knew What Mr. Finnell Did" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann</a><br />The Problems: the status of Napoleon’s hat; historically significant panties on the auction block; major issues in corporal punishment; Liza’s mostly lifelike Naugahyde partner; recovering our Oprah memories; John’s investigative broom closet journalism; the IMAX technology that was wasted on the Gunther Gebel Williams clan; conspiracy theories around Pee-wee’s Sarasota jam-up; why Seattle’s goin’ hungry in the lemon yellow sun; Mr. Finnell’s copy is goldenrod; Donovan’s probably fake smile; tackling our usual authenticity issues; some “e”-zy diaeresis häcks; why John’s just not a fan; the salient différence; Merlin’s glass-lined taxi driver problems; how the sunshine bores the daylights out of the one Rolling Stones lick Merlin knows; knowing how or whether to marry the othe

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Quit & Analyze, and Marvel Character Speculation.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's "Quit & Analyze" episode, then proceed into a very useful conversation about which characters from the Marvel Universe they're each most like.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] TextExpander: Mac Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You Time</a><br />Type more with less effort! TextExpander saves your fingers and your keyboard, expanding custom keyboard shortcuts into frequently-used text and pictures... </li><li><a href="http://www.thenoteboard.com/index.php" class="link" target="_blank">Noteboard®: The pocket whiteboard</a><br />Every Noteboard is durable, portable, and infinitely rewritable folds up map-style. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/quit/21" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Quit! #21: Quit & Analyze</a><br />Dan is joined by a familiar guest, Marco Arment, to take calls and discuss Marco's very recent sale of Instapaper. They delve deeper and discuss when to hire, outsourcing, feeling burnt out, when to sell, and being selective about which company gets to buy what you've built. They take some listener calls and answer questions about job-seeking in a new town, how to come up with the next great idea, the reinvention of the corporate stooge, what to consider when you're desperate for freelance work, and what to do when you get let go from your job. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785114432/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">She-Hulk Vol. 1: Single Green Female: Dan Slott, Juan Bobillo: 9780785114437: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />Single Green Female, outgoing, intelligent, great sense of humor. Enjoys clubbing, dishing with gal-pals and saving the universe. Ready to put old issues behind and make a fresh start. Contact Jen W. at Avengers Mansion. That's right...everyone's favorite Jade Giantess, She-Hulk, has returned for tons of fun, both on and off the field of battle! Collecting SHE-HULK </li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/textexpander/secureinput.html" class="link" target="_blank">TextExpander and Secure Input</a><br />Unfortunately, there are a few situations where Secure Input is left in its “enabled” state when it should not be—when you have finished entering sensitive information, or when you have begun to use a different application than the one that turned on Secure Input. In these cases, you will not be able to use TextExpander until Secure Input is disabled. So how can you disable Secure Input? </li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_100_Greatest_Marvels_of_All_Time" class="link" target="_blank">100 Greatest Marvels of All Time - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time was a series of trade paperbacks published in 2001 by Marvel Comics. Earlier in the year, the publisher had held a poll asking readers to vote on their favorite issues of Marvel comic book series. The top 25 issues were then reprinted in trade paperback form, with a list in the back of each volume listing the results of the poll from the 100th issue to the last issue contained in that particular volume. Numbers 25 to 6 were published in volumes one through five, each of which contained four issues. The top five issues were each reprinted in their own volumes (volumes six through ten).[edit] </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausica%C3%A4_of_the_Valley_of_the_Wind_(film)" class="link" target="_blank">Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://x-men.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Omega_level_mutants" class="link" target="_blank">Omega level mutants - X-Men Wiki - Wolverine, Marvel Comics, Origins</a><br />The terms "Alpha" and "Omega" (roughly meaning "first" resp. "final") are blurry in-universe terms used by some writers to categorise different characters. Omega mutants are, in theory, supposed to be the most powerful class of mutants, but with time the scope of the term has widened to include a much wider scope of characters that, following the same logic, could technically qualify half the ones in existence. </li><li><a href="http://marvel.wikia.com/Category:Omega_Level_Mutants" class="link" target="_blank">Omega Level Mutants - Marvel Comics Database</a><br />PROVEN Omega Level Mutants. A character can only be added to this category if they have a reference for when they were 'outed' as an Omega. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_noise" class="link" target="_blank">White noise - Wikip

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Fixing the Culture of Meetings</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin address the problems with meetings, and how we can each choose to improve them.</p> <p>Ten quick ideas?</p> <ol> <li>Purpose</li> <li>Agenda</li> <li>Grazing Policy</li> <li>Hard Edges</li> <li>Scheduling Guests</li> <li>Timekeeper</li> <li>No Ratholes</li> <li>Focus</li> <li>Follow-Up</li> <li>Consistency</li> </ol> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br />Over 25 million stock photos, illustrations, vectors, and videos </li><li><a href="https://vimeo.com/15579561" class="link" target="_blank">[VIDEO] Merlin Mann - "Broken Meetings (and how you'll fix them)"</a><br />There's a big elephant in the office today that's becoming harder to ignore—meetings.Even the best meetings can eat up massive person-hours, but those really awful ones will just kill you. You know the type.Those time-wasting, rudderless, repetitious, zombie meetings where "deep dives," "drill downs," and "face time" often mean much is debated, little is accomplished, and everybody leaves feeling broken--AND, often as not, late for their next meeting.In the premiere of this all-new presentation, Merlin Mann attacks Bad Meeting Culture with the same brand of practical, funny, and thought-provoking advice that his popular Inbox Zero talks brought to the topic of email. </li><li><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/merlinmann/broken-meetings-and-how-youll-fix-them" class="link" target="_blank">[SLIDES] BROKEN MEETINGS (and how you'll fix them)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html" class="link" target="_blank">[ESSAY] Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule (by Paul Graham; 2009)</a><br />When you're operating on the maker's schedule, meetings are a disaster. A single meeting can blow a whole afternoon, by breaking it into two pieces each too small to do anything hard in. Plus you have to remember to go to the meeting. That's no problem for someone on the manager's schedule. There's always something coming on the next hour </li><li><a href="http://agiletortoise.com/drafts/" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts - Agile Tortoise</a><br />What’s New in Drafts 3.0Extend Drafts with ready-to-install Actions from the Action Directory! ?Drafts is a different kind of note taking app. In Drafts, text comes first – open the app and get a new, blank draft. Don’t get bogged down in a timeline to tweet or post to Facebook and App.net. Don’t tap through multiple screens to compose an email or SMS. Don’t navigate folders, create files and name them just to jot down a note or create a todo. Drafts is available for both iPhone and iPad. </li><li><a href="http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Mushroom_War" class="link" target="_blank">Mushroom War - The Adventure Time Wiki. Mathematical!</a><br />The Mushroom War (usually referred to as the Great Mushroom War) is the cause of the post-apocalyptic condition of the Land of Ooo. Not much is known about the war at the moment, but the inclusion of "mushroom" in the title is probably referring to the mushroom shaped explosion generated by atomic weapons. If so, then it is likely that the Land of Ooo and the creatures who inhabit it were created from the nuclear fallout that irradiated the land. The Mushroom War is most likely started by mankind being at war with one another, but on a nuclear scale (such as during the Cold War or the end of WWII). </li><li><a href="http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/The_Enchiridion_(book)" class="link" target="_blank">The Enchiridion (book) - The Adventure Time Wiki. Mathematical!</a><br />The Enchiridion (which translates to "The Handbook" or "The Manual") was an ancient book with codes of conduct, guidelines, and other helpful information for heroes. The book had great power which allowed it to tear open worm holes between dimensions in the multiverse. It was destroyed by Finn in "The Lich" in order to stop the Lich from gaining access to the multiverse (although, the Lich still made it. See "The Lich" for more details.) </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1419705644/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia (Encyclopedia): Inhabitants, Lore, Spells, and Ancient Crypt Warnings of the Land of Ooo Circa 19.56 B.G.E. - 501 A.G.E.</a><br />What time is it? Adventure Time?! Explore the magical

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Quicksilver and the OS X App Launcher Landscape</p> <p>This week, Dan triumphantly returns from two weeks of crippling illness. So, the boys ease their way back into the groove with a grab bag of great follow-up, some <em>Adventure Time</em> talk, and a longer discussion of popular OS X App launchers, including Quicksilver 1.0, LaunchBar, and Alfred 2.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website — Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. </li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/new-template-design-adirondack" class="link" target="_blank">New Template Design: Adirondack — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />Adirondack is a modern, clean design built with small business owners and savvy entrepreneurs in mind. Minimal navigation and full header images provide a bold framework for your company or brand. The template is characterized by scrolling effects </li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/new-feature-roundup-page-duplication-and-more" class="link" target="_blank">New Feature Roundup: Page Duplication and More — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />While we’re pushing out changes and improvements to Squarespace 6 almost daily, we wanted to point out a few recent updates that you might find helpful: </li><li><a href="http://www.70decibels.com/cmdspace/2013/4/11/038-inbox-zero-and-new-projects-with-merlin-mann.html" class="link" target="_blank">[PODCAST] 70Decibels - CMD+SPACE - 038 - Inbox Zero and New Projects, with Merlin Mann</a><br />On a very special episode of CMD SPACE Myke is joined by Merlin Mann to discuss Inbox Zero, starting New projects and a fun discussion about Adventure Time (as well as a little about comics, of course). </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/mpu/132" class="link" target="_blank">[PODCAST] 5by5 | Mac Power Users #132: Merlin Returns</a><br />Returning for his annual appearance, Merlin Mann joins Katie and David to talk Evernote, GTD, iPad, Podcasting and his favorite Apps. </li><li><a href="http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/" class="link" target="_blank">Fat Cat Software – iPhoto Library Manager</a><br />iPLM also gives you the ability to copy your photos from one library to another, while keeping track of photo metadata that is normally lost when exporting from one library and importing into another. Titles, dates, descriptions, keywords, ratings, faces, and place information are all transferred along with the photos, ensuring that you keep all that information you spent hours entering into iPhoto. Event and albums are also reconstructed when copied, and both the edited and original copies of each photo are copied as well. You can split up a large library into multiple smaller libraries, merge entire libraries together into a big one, or rebuild a corrupt library that is causing iPhoto to hang or crash. </li><li><a href="http://actions.getdrafts.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts: Action Directory</a><br />This directory contains pre-configured custom actions to extend Drafts beyond the actions that come preinstalled with the app. If you have Drafts, browse this directory on your iOS device – when you find an action that interests you, tap the "Install" link and it will be installed in your local version Drafts. Any actions you install can be modified or deleted in the Drafts settings. </li><li><a href="http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1325709" class="link" target="_blank">[GUIDE] Success! Install 10.8 on old unsupported Mac - MacRumors Forums</a><br />Hi, Welcome. First of all. What is "MLPostFactor" you might ask. Well. As we all know, Apple has dropped OSX Mountain Lion support for older generation of Macs (2006~2008 Macs). The goal of the project is to support all those "drop out" Macs. So we designed this app to do just that. Read more @ Post </li><li><a href="http://appcubby.com/launch-center/" class="link" target="_blank">App Cubby • Hand Crafted iPhone Apps - Launch Center</a><br />It’s like speed dial, but for more than just phone calls! Launch Center Pro creates lightning quick shortcuts to specific features buried deep within apps. Call a loved one, message a friend, launch Instagram’s camera to quickly snap a pic, tweet, or turn your iPhone into a flashlight. Launch Center Pro gets you to where you’re going faster than ever before! </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/mpu/133" class="link" target="_blank">[PODCAST] 5by5 | Mac Pow

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Drafts for iOS, and Who You Want to Be</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin cover two very different topics.</p> <p>First, there's a detailed discussion of one of Merlin's favorite iOS apps, <a href="http://agiletortoise.com/drafts" title="Drafts is a different kind of note taking app. In Drafts, text comes first – open the app and get a new, blank draft. Don’t get bogged down in a timeline to tweet or post to Facebook and App.net. Don’t tap through multiple screens to compose an email or SMS. Don’t navigate folders, create files and name them just to jot down a note or create a todo. Drafts is available for both iPhone and iPad.">Drafts</a>, including a deep dive on the app's extraordinary interactions with everything from Twitter to calendars to Dropbox.</p> <p>Second, Dan and Merlin have an A-plus conversation on the hardest question you’ll ask yourself this week: “<em>Is <strong>this</strong> who I want to be?”</em></p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock</a><br />Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography. </li><li><a href="http://www.scruffy.tv/scruffy/2013/3/26/fancy-monkeys.html" class="link" target="_blank">Fancy Monkeys - Scruffy Thinking - Scruffy.TV</a><br />On this special That Scruffy Post Show Kanen sits down with Stu Maschwitz and Merlin Mann on their second visit to the show! They discuss delegation, dealing with email and to do lists, assistants, and working hard to make being lazy possible. Does it get better than that? </li><li><a href="http://www.indiewire.com/article/television/why-adventure-time-is-the-best-sci-fi-show-on-tv-right-now" class="link" target="_blank">Why 'Adventure Time' Is the Best Sci-Fi Show on TV Right Now | Filmmakers, Film Industry, Film Festivals, Awards & Movie Reviews | Indiewire</a><br />Sometimes you love a show so much it can do weird things to your head. I've gone out on a limb with Cartoon Network's "Adventure Time" by deeming it a groundbreaking form of cartoon storytelling that fuses several eras of animation into a delightfully surreal and yet oddly familiar experience. I also wondered if the entire show was one big metaphor for sex. I stand by the former and wince a little when contemplating the latter as anything other than one more manifestation of the fun possibilities involved in reading into a show that has a deceptively simple surface and tangibly dark interiors. But after last night's wonderful flashback special episode, "Simon and Marcy," I'm convinced of one thing: "Adventure Time" is the best science fiction show on television right now. </li><li><a href="http://qsapp.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Quicksilver — Mac OS X at your Fingertips</a><br />Quicksilver is a fast and free Mac OS X productivity application that gives you the power to control your Mac quickly and elegantly. Quicksilver learns your habits, making your everyday chores simple and efficient. </li><li><a href="http://blog.qsapp.com/post/46268365849/quicksilver-comes-of-age" class="link" target="_blank">Quicksilver — LoveQuicksilver Blog</a><br />After almost 10 years of testing, Quicksilver lays the beta tag to rest. (If the lack of an eszett brings a tear to your eye, you can always reminisce by hitting ?S on your keyboard). What does this release mean? It means more than just a change in the version numbering system - it signifies a maturity of Quicksilver and a sign of what’s to come. </li><li><a href="http://blog.qsapp.com/post/46268470658/quicksilver-an-interview-with-the-developers" class="link" target="_blank">Quicksilver — LoveQuicksilver Blog</a><br />With the release of Quicksilver v1.0, I sat with Quicksilver’s lead developers (at our respective far-flung computers) to gather their thoughts on this historic occasion, and to find out a bit more about Quicksilver behind the scenes. </li><li><a href="http://agiletortoise.com/drafts" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts - Agile Tortoise</a><br />Drafts is a different kind of note taking app. In Drafts, text comes first – open the app and get a new, blank draft. Don’t get bogged down in a timeline to tweet or post to Facebook and App.net. Don’t tap through multiple screens to compose an email or SMS. Don’t navigate folders, create files and name them just to jot down a note or create a todo. Drafts is available for both iPhone and iPad. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Choosing Your Forks.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about some of the deeper and more slippery issues behind changes in our career and life.</p> <p>In particular, how do we go from a vague tickle to that feeling of full-blown <em>intolerability</em> that can end up driving a change? Are we looking backward at what we <em>should</em> be doing as we slavishly catalog our many petty aggrievements? Or, do we take two giant steps back and apply a cooler eye to what we really want to <em>do</em> next?</p> <p>Even before we find our forks in the road, how can we know a big decision might or should be coming our way? And, how do we stay current on that never-ending need to accept and plan for the changes we never could have anticipated?</p> <p>It's tough at 23, it's super-hard at 30, and, brother, is it ever murder at 50.</p> <p>Sure, it's a little fruity, but, yeah: you need to write the story you really want to live. Rather than just cobbling together a flattering post-mortem on how you magically ended up where you are.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://tonx.org/pushatonx" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] We Source, Roast, and Ship Coffee. You Brew. | Tonx</a><br />You're about to join Merlin Mann on a coffee journey. </li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] PDFpen: Mac PDF Editor - Edit, Sign, and Correct PDFs</a><br />The all-purpose Mac PDF editor! Add signatures, text, and images. Make changes and correct typos. OCR scanned docs. Fill out forms. New in version 6: Microsoft® Word export! </li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website - Squarespace</a><br />Everything You Need to Create an Exceptional Website </li><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock</a><br />Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography. </li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/gaining-momentum" class="link" target="_blank">Gaining Momentum — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />Momentum is a beautiful, flexible design built especially for photographers and designers who are ready to take their work front and center. With this template, you have the option of showcasing your portfolio with the cinematic full-bleed image display, or preserving the original resolution and visual integrity with the centered image display. You can add information for each image, video, or project to add context to your galleries. Momentum is also our first multi-index template, created for folks that have multiple projects or galleries that they’d like to share. The index view shows all of your galleries with aspect-correct thumbnails, so that visitors can scroll through your work on one page, without interruption. </li><li><a href="https://vimeo.com/61987977" class="link" target="_blank">PDFpen for Mac Version 6 on Vimeo</a><br />PDFpen for the Mac version 6 has some great new features including a new user interface, conversion to Word, and auto form generation. This screencast shows off some of my favorite things about the new version. </li><li><a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/find-the-thing-youre-most-passionate-about-then-do,31742/" class="link" target="_blank">Find The Thing You're Most Passionate About, Then Do It On Nights And Weekends For The Rest Of Your Life | The Onion - America's Finest News Source</a><br />I can’t stress this enough: Do what you love…in between work commitments, and family commitments, and commitments that tend to pop up and take immediate precedence over doing the thing you love. </li><li><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/ep-67-all-of-the-small-beer.html" class="link" target="_blank">Ep. 67: "All of the Small Beer" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann</a><br />The Problem: Fixing the problem at the attitude level. </li><li><a href="http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/pill-organization/ID=360531-tier2general" class="link" target="_blank">Pill Organization | Walgreens</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/07/17/a_whiff_of_history/?page=full" class="link" target="_blank">A whiff of history - The Boston Globe</a><br />But despite its primacy in our lives, our sense of smell is often overlooked when we record our history. We tend to connect with the p

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Memory.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin try to tackle the complexities of memory.</p> <p>Why do we remember things from childhood with unimpeachable detail, but then forget our own phone number or PIN code? How can the same person remember the name of everyone he's ever met, and then space a phone call a couple hours after it was scheduled? Why do we remember and why do we forget?</p> <p>Unsurprisingly, few concrete answers appear, but there's plenty of lively conversation on savant syndrome, tactical memory aides, and the precise location of Merlin's pills.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock</a><br />Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography. </li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrEPJh14mcU" class="link" target="_blank">Forgetfulness - Billy Collins Animated Poetry - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/19936300659/unconditional-love" class="link" target="_blank">This is real. And, it’s still my favorite email... | kung fu grippe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/45763194525/compose-gmail-message" class="link" target="_blank">Compose Gmail Message.app I just ““wrote”” my... | kung fu grippe</a><br />It’s the world’s dumbest and awesomest Automator app, and it does precisely one thing </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_of_the_tongue" class="link" target="_blank">Tip of the tongue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon (TOT), sometimes called presque vu, is the failure to retrieve a word from memory, combined with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent.[1] The phenomenon's name comes from the saying, "It's on the tip of my tongue." </li><li><a href="http://www.papenhausen.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Papenhausen Hardware</a><br />We are now carrying SodaStream products. That's right you can make your own sodas or carbonated water drinks. The machine is simple to use and the cartridges are refillable. Just bring down your empty one and exchange it for a full one. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunking_(psychology)" class="link" target="_blank">Chunking (psychology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Chunking, in psychology, is a phenomenon whereby individuals group responses when performing a memory task. Tests where individuals can demonstrate "chunking" commonly include serial and free recall tasks </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heuristic" class="link" target="_blank">Heuristic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />In more precise terms, heuristics are strategies using readily accessible, though loosely applicable, information to control problem solving in human beings and machines </li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/jxpx777" class="link" target="_blank">Jamie Phelps (jxpx777) on Twitter</a><br />Smartsure and cocksure. </li><li><a href="http://jxpx777.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Jamie Phelps | Smartsure and cocksure</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" class="link" target="_blank">Rain Man (1988) - IMDb</a><br />Selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt's father left a fortune to his savant brother Raymond and a pittance to Charlie </li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_8" class="link" target="_blank">Rain Man (1988) - Trivia - IMDb</a><br />Dustin Hoffman spent a year working with autistic men and their families to understand their complex relationships. Also, when he was a jobbing actor, he had worked in a psychiatric care home, and drew from his experiences then for the film. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Peek" class="link" target="_blank">Kim Peek - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Laurence Kim Peek (November 11, 1951 – December 19, 2009) was an American savant. Known as a "megasavant", he had an exceptional memory, but he also experienced social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability related to congenital brain abnormalities. He was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rain Man. Unlike Babbitt, who had autism, Peek probably had FG syndrome. </li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2T45r5G3k

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Stupidity.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin tackle <em>stupidity</em>. And, brother, there sure are a whole lot of flavors of stupid.</p> <p>Are we really talking about being clueless, unaware, dumb, absent-minded, or just plain-old ignorant? Because they're actually pretty different animals.</p> <p>Whether you're dropping your library book in the mailbox, leaving your iPad at home, following baseless medical advice, or doing whatever Dan did with his garage door (don't worry: the car is <em>fine</em>), it's really helpful to understand where your real problem really lives.</p> <p>From a tactical standpoint, try some useful failsafes, rituals, and habits. But, at a higher level, learn to develop the <em>curiosity</em> to keep evolving. Stay open to how you might be wrong by always seeking out the smartest person you can find who disagrees with you.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br />Build a Website - Squarespace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. </li><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock</a><br />Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography. </li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/140124050X/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Superman Family Adventures Vol. 1 (Superman (Graphic Novels)): Franco, Art Baltazar: 9781401240509: Amazon.com: Books</a><br />Superman! Superboy! Supergirl! Krypto the Superdog! The entire Superman family is reimagined here in this energetic all-ages graphic novel. Don't miss the heroes of Metropolis fighting such foes as Bizarro, Metallo, Lex Luthor and more in these tales from issues numbered 1-6 of the all-ages series. </li><li><a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3423/i/b2w/b2w-110/b2w-chrome-shortcuts.jpg" class="link" target="_blank">b2w-chrome-shortcuts.jpg (668×598)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.dccomics.com/comics/superman-family-adventures/superman-family-adventures-1" class="link" target="_blank">SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #1 | DC Comics</a><br />Superman's closest allies take the stage like you have never seen before, from the Eisner Award-winning team of Art Baltazar and Franco (TINY TITANS) </li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Superman-Family-Adventures/comics-series/8111" class="link" target="_blank">Superman Family Adventures Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology</a><br />Superman's closest allies take the stage like you have never seen before. Classic Superman elements reinterpreted for all ages--pack your bags and meet us in Metropolis! An all-new all-ages title from the Eisner Award-winning creative team of TINY TITANS, Art Baltazar and Franco! </li><li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=superman+family+adventures&hl=en&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=9sg4UeDeBuf9ygGVzIHIBg&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1577&bih=1312" class="link" target="_blank">superman family adventures - Google Search</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://guttersandpanels.com/gutters-and-panels/2013/3/7/gamechanging-marvel-unlimited-app-offers-digital-subscription-model" class="link" target="_blank">Gamechanging 'Marvel Unlimited' App Offers Digital Subscription Model — Gutters and Panels</a><br />This is news many of us were hoping for - it was just a matter of time. Gizmodo reports that Marvel Comics will now begin offering their digital catalog of back issues for use on iOS (iPhone and iPad, with Android coming soon)? for a flat subscription rate. Prices start at $10 a month, or limited-time offer of $60 for a year of service, which will allow access to over 13,000 digitally-scanned comics from Marvel's extensive history. </li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/marvel-unlimited/id607205403?mt=8" class="link" target="_blank">Marvel Unlimited for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store</a><br />Introducing the Marvel Unlimited app for iPhone and iPad - a new benefit of our digital comics subscription program! </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_model_of_skill_acquisition" class="l

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Not So Much</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin eschew ““topic”” to freely discuss razors, beef, They Might Be Giants, prolapse, Genesis, dogs, Spider-Man (and -Womyn), pretender marteenies, truck butt, the lonely plaster casts of our youth, blind harmonicists, those awesome blue IKEA bags, ceviche, E.L.O., Goldenberg's Peanut Chews, bumping, hypoglycemia, how Merlin named his daughter, Hyman Roth, endive, and, of course, <em>The Big Lebowski</em>.</p> <p>Then, they go and blow it all by unintentionally having a really useful discussion about Merlin's three key elements of optimal and sustainable workflows.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br />Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. Use offer code "**`CASH`**" for an additional 10% off. </li><li><a href="http://cmsauve.com/projects/templates/" class="link" target="_blank">Templates.scpt</a><br />OmniFocus is an incredible piece of software. I and countless others rely on it every day to manage increasingly hectic lives and complex, multi-facetted projects.This script is an effort to reduce one of the largest sources of friction remaining in my OmniFocus setup: maintaining and creating projects that don't recur on even intervals, but occur frequently enough that their planning and capture becomes a time sink. </li><li><a href="http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/459" class="link" target="_blank">Arnold Robbins - O'Reilly Media</a><br /> Arnold Robbins, an Atlanta native, is a professional programmer and technical author. He has worked with Unix systems since 1980, when he was introduced to a PDP-11 running a version of Sixth Edition Unix. He has been a heavy AWK user since 1987, when he became involved with gawk, the GNU project's version of AWK. As a member of the POSIX 1003.2 balloting group, he helped shape the POSIX standard for AWK. He is currently the maintainer of gawk and its documentation. He is also coauthor of the sixth edition of O'Reilly's Learning the vi Editor. Since late 1997, he and his family have been living happily in Israel. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Rothstein" class="link" target="_blank">Arnold Rothstein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 5, 1928), nicknamed "the Brain," was a Jewish-American racketeer, businessman and gambler who became a kingpin of the Jewish mob in New York. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics, most notoriously conspiring in the fixing of the 1919 World Series. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_Roth" class="link" target="_blank">Hyman Roth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Hyman Roth is a fictional character in the Godfather series of books and films. He was a Jewish investor and a business partner of Vito Corleone, and later his son Michael Corleone. He is based on the late Florida-based mobster, Meyer Lansky, and played in the movie by Lee Strasberg. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_Lansky" class="link" target="_blank">Meyer Lansky - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Meyer Lansky (born Meyer Suchowljansky; July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983), known as the "Mob's Accountant," was a Russian-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States. For decades he was thought to be one of the most powerful people in the country. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/systematic/33" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Systematic #33: Merlin Mann - Failing gracefully</a><br />Merlin Mann guests to talk about failure, success and self perception in an organic and enlightening conversation. </li><li><a href="http://lifehacker.com/5988268/store-lemons-in-the-fridge-to-keep-them-juicier-longer" class="link" target="_blank">Store Lemons in the Fridge to Keep them Juicier Longer</a><br />The folks America's Test Kitchen wanted to see how to keep lemons juicy and fresh as long as possible, and the answer is simple: put them in a zipper bag and toss them in the fridge. [via Joel Housman] </li><li><a href="http://lifehacker.com/5985131/open-compose-takes-you-straight-to-gmails-new-email-window-to-avoid-inbox-distractions" class="link" target="_blank">Open Compose Takes You Straight to Gmail's New Email Window to Avoid Inbox Distractions<

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Shaving a Yak</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about The Hierarchy of Fiddling. When does self-improvement silently shade into navel-gazing, and how do we realize that it's happening?</p> <p>Some fixes mean applying a fast change that produces outsized results (a <em>true</em> "life hack"). But, most of our more circuitous excursions into the world of ““<em>productivity</em>”” lead straight into a recursive black hole of lost time, sheer frustration, and soul-sucking existential onanism (let's call that one a "life whack").</p> <p>Learn how to live with your dirty debit card, just satisfice with your dish-washing skills, and quit trying to solve non-problems with non-solutions.</p> <p>Yes, learn the key commands, but, don't feel like you need to learn <strong>all</strong> the key commands. Iterate with mindful sanity.</p> <p>And, like it says on the tin: always focus on how you'll get <em>back to work</em>.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] TextExpander: Mac and iOS Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You Time</a><br />Save time and effort with TextExpander! Whether it's a simple email signature or several paragraphs of a standard response, you'll love how easy it is to use TextExpander to avoid typing the same thing over and over. </li><li><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yak_shaving" class="link" target="_blank">yak shaving - Wiktionary</a><br />(idiomatic) The actually useless activity you do that appears important when you are consciously or unconsciously procrastinating about a larger problem. I thought I'd get more work done if I just fixed a problem with my .emacs file, but then I spent the whole afternoon yak shaving. </li><li><a href="http://makezine.com/01/lifehacks/" class="link" target="_blank">Yak Shaving</a><br />Stuck in the middle of a stack of stuff you're supposed to do? Sharpen your wool clippers, and stop getting distracted by the pointless activities which surround any serious problem--unless you want to, that is. </li><li><a href="https://bryonycoleblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/shaving-the-yak/" class="link" target="_blank">Shaving the yak. « BRYONY COLE</a><br />Yak-shaving is that time when you set out to do something and end up completely off-track – bogged by little details, that actually seem crucial and dependent on the goal at the time, but later turn out to be irrelevant. </li><li><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bikeshedding" class="link" target="_blank">bikeshedding - Wiktionary</a><br />bikeshed +? -ing. The word originates in Berkeley Software Distribution culture and implies technical disputes over minor, marginal issues conducted while more serious ones are being overlooked. The implied image is of people arguing over what color to paint the bicycle shed while the house is not finished. The word has its origins in Parkinson’s Law of Triviality. [edit] </li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/squarespace-commerce-is-here" class="link" target="_blank">Squarespace Commerce is Here — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br />Giving our customers the ability to manage and sell products on their websites has been the most requested Squarespace feature of all time. Thanks to the powerful architecture of Squarespace 6, we've built a truly integrated commerce solution that gives our customers amazing power and flexibility within a single platform. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/systematic/33" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Systematic #33: Merlin Mann - Failing gracefully</a><br />Merlin Mann guests to talk about failure, success and self perception in an organic and enlightening conversation. </li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/4" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #4: Failing with Style</a><br />Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin talk about trying to change other people, how things really aren’t that bad, balancing fear or being driven by fear, leaving capacity for when you get The Pitch, procrastination (eventually), and giving yourself permission to fail in an interesting way. You’re not gonna get black lung from a spreadsheet. </li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consilience_(book)" class="link" target="_blank">Consilience (book) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge is a 1998 book by biologist E. O. Wilson. In this book, Wilson discusses methods that have been used to unite the sciences and might in the future unite them with the humanities. Wilson prefers and uses the term

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Compression</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin talk about <em>compression</em>. What happens when we don't account for how long something <em>really</em> takes to do? And, worse still, what if we don't think about what has to happen <em>before</em> we can even start it?</p> <p>If you find you're stressed-out, over-scheduled, under-resourced—and not particularly loving the things you're making—there's a pretty good chance you've become a victim of your own compression.</p> <p>Acknowledge and understand the problem, and then learn how to avoid the classic pitfalls by falling in love with your calendar all over again.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.getharvest.com/5by5" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Harvest</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law" class="link" target="_blank">Hofstadter's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning_fallacy" class="link" target="_blank">Planning fallacy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://lesswrong.com/lw/jg/planning_fallacy/" class="link" target="_blank">Planning Fallacy - Less Wrong</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.overcomingbias.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Overcoming Bias</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/aug/02/healthandwellbeing.psychology" class="link" target="_blank">Oliver Burkeman on why everything takes longer than you think | Life and style | The Guardian</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2008/08/13/estimating-time" class="link" target="_blank">Task Times, The Planning Fallacy, and a Magical 20% | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2004/entries/time-experience/" class="link" target="_blank">The Experience and Perception of Time (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Winter 2004 Edition)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_perception" class="link" target="_blank">Time perception - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comicsbackissues.com/timeline-of-events-in-x-men-comics-1963-2012/" class="link" target="_blank">Timeline of Events in X-Men Comics – 1963-2012 | Comics Back Issues</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comicsbackissues.com/comic-book-reading-order/" class="link" target="_blank">Comic Book Reading Order | Comics Back Issues</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141918921,00.html" class="link" target="_blank">Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman - Penguin Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374275637/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Thinking, Fast and Slow: Daniel Kahneman: 9780374275631: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://brettterpstra.com/projects/markdown-service-tools/" class="link" target="_blank">Markdown Service Tools - Brett Terpstra</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://brettterpstra.com/2012/10/16/searchlink-automated-markdown-linking-improved/" class="link" target="_blank">SearchLink: automated Markdown linking improved - Brett Terpstra</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://neocotic.com/template/" class="link" target="_blank">Template · neocotic</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comicsbackissues.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Comics Back Issues | Back Issue Reading Orders and Lists</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" class="link" target="_blank">Alien (1979) - IMDb</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106028/" class="link" target="_blank">Homicide: Life on the Street (TV Series 1993–1999) - IMDb</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://marvel.com/images/gallery/story/19320/images_from_skottie_young_baby_variants/image/932058" class="link" target="_blank">Deadpool (2012) #1 Baby Variant cover by Skottie Young | Apps | Marvel.com</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/pipeline/7" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Pipeline #7: Merlin Mann</a><br /></l

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Duplicates, duplicates, duplicates.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin conclude their discussion of media management by focusing on dealing with <em>duplicates</em>. Just so many duplicates.</p> <p>Music, Photos, Contacts, and Finder files. It's all thorny business, but a canny combination of backup, cool apps, and paranoid discretion can make your digital life more manageable and fun.</p> <p>Also, some handy tips on sharing files, hosting media, and finding a digital home for your comic collection.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snapseed/id439438619?mt=8" class="link" target="_blank">Snapseed for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kleenex.com/CoolTouch.aspx" class="link" target="_blank">Kleenex Cool Touch Moisturizing Tissues | Kleenex®</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.70decibels.com/generational/2013/2/9/021-raising-a-human.html" class="link" target="_blank">70Decibels - Generational - 021 - Raising a Human</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://merlinm.squarespace.com/snikt/" class="link" target="_blank">Great Comic Stuff — Merlin Mann</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785124896/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story: Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja, Travel Foreman: 9780785124894: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Hawkeye/comics-series/8445" class="link" target="_blank">Hawkeye Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Fraction" class="link" target="_blank">Matt Fraction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Aja" class="link" target="_blank">David Aja - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://brattoo.com/propaganda/" class="link" target="_blank">Brattoo Propaganda Software - Products</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://macpaw.com/gemini" class="link" target="_blank">Gemini: The Best Duplicate File Finder and Cleaner for Mac OS X | MacPaw</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://homegrownsw.com/camerasync/faq/" class="link" target="_blank">CameraSync</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.textdropapp.com/dropbox/" class="link" target="_blank">/ - TextDrop</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://macpaw.com/faq/gemini" class="link" target="_blank">Gemini F.A.Q. - Frequently asked questions regarding Gemini| MacPaw</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://merlinm.com/snikt" class="link" target="_blank">Great Comic Stuff — Merlin Mann</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Frakes" class="link" target="_blank">Jonathan Frakes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://dougscripts.com/itunes/" class="link" target="_blank">Doug's AppleScripts for iTunes ? - dougscripts.com</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/camerasync/id406645727?mt=8" class="link" target="_blank">CameraSync for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/" class="link" target="_blank">PhoneView for iPhone and iPad - Save SMS, iMessages, Voicemail, Call History, Music, Photos, Notes - Ecamm Network</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/macbreak.png" class="link" target="_blank">macbreak.png 102×83 pixels</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/103" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #103: Lotta Little Knives</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/104" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #104: Grab Your Revolver</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://shop.5by5.tv/" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/contacts-cleaner/id411369012?mt=12" class="link" target="_blank">Mac App Store - Contacts Clea

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Cool stuff Merlin loves.</p> <p>This week, Merlin is delirious and may be in a fugue state, so he and Dan talk about a bunch of cool apps and gadgets--stuff that Merlin likes and really recommends.</p> <p>Special attention goes to Drafts for iOS, the Logitech K760 Bluetooth keyboard, Verbatim's Tuff 'n Tiny USB drive, Cortex Camera for iOS, Cobook Address Book, with many more suggestions along the way, including handy tips based on how Merlin uses each.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0093WF9VQ/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: SodaStream REVOLUTION Deluxe Bundle Kit Black & Silver: Baby</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/siracusa/status/298818054295531520" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / siracusa: The latest addition to our ...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.leancrew.com/all-this/" class="link" target="_blank">And now it’s all this</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drafts/id502385074?mt=8" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007VL8Y2C/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 for Mac/iPad/iPhone (920-003884): Computers & Accessories</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001UHTDS2/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Verbatim TUFF 'N' TINY 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive 96816 (Purple): Electronics</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003UI62AG/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Plugable USB 3.0/2.0 SATA Hard Drive Docking Station (ASMedia Chipset; UASP and 3TB+ Support): Computers & Accessories</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/cobook-for-iphone/id579616837?ls=1&mt=8" class="link" target="_blank">Cobook for iPhone for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.busymac.com/busycal/" class="link" target="_blank">BusyCal</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://wateree.net/syncman/" class="link" target="_blank">Syncman | Synchronize Address Book with Gmail</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://readdle.com/products/calendars/" class="link" target="_blank">Readdle</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokononism" class="link" target="_blank">Bokononism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://agiletortoise.com/blog/2013/2/2/drafts-252-and-drafts-for-ipad-152.html" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts 2.5.2 and Drafts for iPad 1.5.2 - Blog - Agile Tortoise</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.macstories.net/reviews/ios-automation-and-workflows-with-drafts/" class="link" target="_blank">iOS Automation and Workflows with Drafts</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/2023324/review-drafts-for-iphone-and-ipad.html" class="link" target="_blank">Review: Drafts for iPhone and iPad | Macworld</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://productivityist.com/drafts-a-truly-indispenable-ios-app/" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts: A Truly Indispenable iOS App</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://actions.getdrafts.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Drafts: Action Directory</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html" class="link" target="_blank">SuperDuper!</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/1password-password-manager/id568903335?ls=1&mt=8" class="link" target="_blank">1Password for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.agilebits.com/2013/01/12/1password-ios-4-1/" class="link" target="_blank">1Password 4.1 for iOS adds… way too much great stuff to fit in a post title | Agile Blog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.agilebits.com/2013/02/02/1password-for-ios-wins-an-editors-choice-award-from-the-mac-observer/" class="link" target="_blank">1Password for iOS wi

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Modern Media Management: Metadata and Smart Playlists</p> <p>This week Dan and Merlin continue their 3-part series on Modern Media Management: handling your iTunes Library, iOS Devices, and iTunes Match without making yourself crazy.</p> <p>In this episode, the focus is on fixing audio metadata, with a <em>big</em> discussion of the awesome <a href="http://musicbrainz.org/">MusicBrainz</a> and <a href="http://musicbrainz.org/doc/MusicBrainz_Picard">Picard</a>.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/blog/entry/macworld-2013-smiles-10th-birthday" class="link" target="_blank">Smile Blog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website - Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] TextExpander: Mac Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You Time</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/typekit" class="link" target="_blank">Squarespace + Typekit: 65 Professional Fonts for Free — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://i-0.us/XIarTX" class="link" target="_blank">Merlin's Smart Playlists for iTunes Match</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://musicbrainz.org/search?query=beatles&type=artist&method=indexed" class="link" target="_blank">Search Results - MusicBrainz</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3423/i/b2w/b2w-104/b2w%20e104%20smart%20playlists%202013-01-29.html" class="link" target="_blank">b2w e104 smart playlists 2013-01-29</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loo41xVIb_I" class="link" target="_blank">Tangled - Mandy Moore - When Will My Life Begin HD - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Jim_Gaffigan_Mr._Universe/70237054?locale=en-US" class="link" target="_blank">Watch Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe Online | Netflix</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://vimeo.com/7944778" class="link" target="_blank">Maria Bamford's One-Hour Homemade Christmas Special! on Vimeo</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nerdist.com/2012/11/nerdist-podcast-maria-bamford-returns/" class="link" target="_blank">Nerdist Podcast: Maria Bamford Returns! « Nerdist</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://musicbrainz.org/" class="link" target="_blank">MusicBrainz - The Open Music Encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://musicbrainz.org/doc/MusicBrainz_Picard" class="link" target="_blank">MusicBrainz Picard - MusicBrainz</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.iflicksapp.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Manage your Video Collection with iTunes | iFlicks</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smarts/id438671026?mt=12" class="link" target="_blank">Mac App Store - Smarts</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-match/" class="link" target="_blank">Apple - iTunes - Match</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4914" class="link" target="_blank">iTunes Store: Subscribing to iTunes Match</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html" class="link" target="_blank">FFmpeg documentation : :</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Cops" class="link" target="_blank">Keystone Cops - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.themoviedb.org/" class="link" target="_blank">TMDb — The Movie Database</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://thetvdb.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Online TV Database - An open directory of television shows for HTPC software</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comicbookdb.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Comic Book DB - The Comic Book Database</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005CLPP84" class="link" target="_blank">Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player:Amazon:Electronics</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/crossover/7" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Crossover #7: We Met at a Teq

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Modern Media Management: iTunes Match</p> <p>This week Dan and Merlin begin a 3-part series on Modern Media Management: handling your iTunes Library, iOS Devices, and iTunes Match without making yourself crazy.</p> <p>In this episode, they cover setting up and using iTunes Match, being safe and paranoid, what to do after you get the iTunes ping, some smart playlists that will help you exclude kwanzaa music, find stuff you don't want to listen to, and maintain your sanity.</p> <p>Next episode they'll discuss wrangling metadata and smart playlists. Then in the last episode of the series, they'll cover managing the libraries on your devices and some grab bag stuff.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://pokemann.tumblr.com/post/40702127355/check-out-this-8bit-version-of-plica-plica-that" class="link" target="_blank">Pokemann - Check out this 8bit version of Plica Plica that...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4914" class="link" target="_blank">iTunes Store: Subscribing to iTunes Match</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/1163599/dealing_with_itunes_matchs_25_000_track_limit.html" class="link" target="_blank">Dealing with iTunes Match's 25,000 Track Limit | Macworld</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.apple.com/icloud/features/" class="link" target="_blank">Apple - iCloud - All your content on all your devices.</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-match/" class="link" target="_blank">Apple - iTunes - Match</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace (use offer code `NICE` for an additional 10% off)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/41" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #41: Carpal Tunnel Diem</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/1163620/how_to_upgrade_tracks_to_itunes_match_fast.html" class="link" target="_blank">How to upgrade tracks to iTunes Match, fast | Macworld</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/2013668/itunes-match-one-year-in.html" class="link" target="_blank">iTunes Match: One year in | Macworld</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://service.squarespace.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Squarespace Service Blog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/40958754321/bmb" class="link" target="_blank">Inscribed Something very, very special has... | kung fu grippe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debutante" class="link" target="_blank">Debutante - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bonham" class="link" target="_blank">John Bonham - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://soundcloud.com/slashram/8-bit-plica-plica" class="link" target="_blank">8-Bit "Plica Plica" [B2W theme song] by slashram</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://pokemann.tumblr.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Pokémann</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://2000nickels.com/blog/2013/01/20/a-podcast-with-merlin-sodastream-bulkbag-comics/" class="link" target="_blank">A podcast with Merlin: SodaStream, BULKBUG, comics - 2000 Nickels</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.maintain.se/cocktail" class="link" target="_blank">Maintain – Cocktail</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://secrets.blacktree.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Secrets</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401220843/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1: Back on the Street: Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson: 9781401220846: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401235077/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Animal Man Vol. 1: The Hunt (The New 52): Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman: 9781401235079: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owH54AiCheg" class="link" target="_blank">Star Wars continuity mistakes - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-iOOsZHS6s" class="link" target="_blank">Cocteau Twins - Wax and Wane - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue_s

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Creative Costumes vs. Pushing Out Product</p> <p>This week Dan and Merlin talk about how the legends and mythologies around creative people and beautiful losers can become such a destructive MacGuffin for us aspiring civilians.</p> <p>Getting gakked out on Hunter S. Thompson's cocaine and buying Sylvia Plath's oven are unlikely to take you anyplace useful, interesting, or…creative.</p> <p>Also: "<strong><em>BRIANMICHAELBENDIS!</em></strong>"</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.comicsbackissues.com/list-of-spider-man-comics-in-order-to-amazing-spider-man-700/" class="link" target="_blank">List of Spider-Man Comics in Order to Amazing Spider-Man #700</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://neocotic.com/2013/01/15/template-1-2-0/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+neocotic+%28neocotic%29" class="link" target="_blank">Template 1.2.0 · neocotic</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785107711/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller, Vol. 2: Frank Miller: 9780785107712: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nerdist.com/2013/01/nerdist-podcast-warren-ellis/" class="link" target="_blank">Nerdist Podcast: Warren Ellis « Nerdist</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comicsbackissues.com/comic-book-reading-order/spider-man-read-order-chronology/" class="link" target="_blank">Spider-Man Read Order</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Shutterstock </a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.frankandoak.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Frank & Oak </a><br /></li><li><a href="http://withironhands.tumblr.com/post/40522688264/how-to-start-reading-avengers-comics" class="link" target="_blank">How to Start Reading Avengers Comics!</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812981383/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human (9780812981384): Grant Morrison: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078514286X/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Marvels: Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross: 9780785142867: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Big_Time" class="link" target="_blank">Spider-Man: Big Time - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812981383/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human (9780812981384): Grant Morrison: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvels" class="link" target="_blank">Marvels - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/ewanmorgan/status/289905709112492034/photo/1" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / ewanmorgan: A day in the life of Hunter ...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://philnoto.tumblr.com/post/40600118435/thunderbolts-this-is-the-first-image-i-drew-of" class="link" target="_blank">Phil Noto - THUNDERBOLTS This is the first image I drew of...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/40591191112/biting-the-rug" class="link" target="_blank">The 1940s were super-weird. | kung fu grippe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/40589835480/ha-ha-ha" class="link" target="_blank">“Ha! Ha! Ha!” From Wonder Woman #6 (1943) I’ll... | kung fu grippe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/40580772246/backbrain-chewing" class="link" target="_blank">Warren Ellis on "writer's block"</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/ewanmorgan/status/289905709112492034" class="link" target="_blank">Twitter / ewanmorgan: A day in the life of Hunter ...</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlinmann/comics/detail/1697660" class="link" target="_blank">Captain Marvel, Vol. 8 #1A in merlinmann's Comic Collector Connect collection</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlin

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Those New Years When We're Not <em>Actually</em> Resolved.</p> <p>This week, Merlin and Dan step back from resolutions and shooting yourself in the face with a wrist rocket to talk about what you're actually trying to change.</p> <p>You're failing and feeling bad and eating a whole bag of cookies because you're resolving to be someone you're not (yet). What are you really trying to address? Are you being honest with yourself? Where do you actually start?</p> <p>Find the <em>real</em> reasons, build a <em>real</em> infrastructure, and build yourself a <em>real</em> habit.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty" class="link" target="_blank">Loyalty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Squarespace</a><br />(use offer code `NICE` for an additional 10% off) </li><li><a href="http://www.frankandoak.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Frank & Oak</a><br />(use code `BACKTOWORK10` for 10% off your first purchase) </li><li><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/ep-21-dead-rubber-girl-in-my-closet.html" class="link" target="_blank">Ep. 21: "Dead Rubber Girl in My Closet" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://thousandfoldart.tumblr.com/post/39484546086/some-podcast-fan-art-love-me-some-5by5" class="link" target="_blank">Thousandfold: Some podcast fan art. Love me some 5by5</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://youlooknicetoday.com/episode/make-a-given-wish" class="link" target="_blank">Make a Given Wish | You Look Nice Today</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/comicshack/23" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Comic Shack #23: Lying Cat is My Spirit Animal</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563899809/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned (9781563899805): Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_K_Vaughan" class="link" target="_blank">Brian K. Vaughan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlinmann/comics/view?viewCollection=in-collection" class="link" target="_blank">Collectorz.com Connect: merlinmann: My Comics</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skottie_Young" class="link" target="_blank">Skottie Young - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culper_Ring" class="link" target="_blank">Culper Ring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Earl_Hughes" class="link" target="_blank">Robert Earl Hughes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/mens-belt-guide/" class="link" target="_blank">A Man’s Belt Guide – What you need to know when buying a men’s belt</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isumZjs3dKA" class="link" target="_blank">Wu Tang-Triumph - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2011/01/07/first-pancake" class="link" target="_blank">Resolved: Stop Blaming the Pancake | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life: Anne Lamott: 9780385480017: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Figure-Four-Leg-Lock" class="link" target="_blank">9 Tips on How to Do a Figure Four Leg Lock - wikiHow</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intestinal%20fortitude" class="link" target="_blank">Intestinal fortitude - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://darthapo.backpackit.com/pub/1178405" class="link" target="_blank">Backpack: Graphic Novelist 2.3</a><br /></li></ul><p>This week's episode for <em>Back to Work</em> is sponsored by <a href="http://www.frankandoak.com/backtowork">Frank & Oak</a> (use code "<strong><code>BACKTOWORK10</code>&l

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Yes. The caller <em>is</em> there.</p> <p>This week, in celebration of their hundredth episode, Dan and Merlin do the first call-in episode of <em>Back to Work</em>.</p> <p>A bevy of the beloved jackals and nerds ask questions about GTD, creative autonomy, sleep and energy, interpersonal work communications, moving up at work, self-publishing, finding your rabbi, Marines, X-Men, and more.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785161945/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection - Book 1: Joss Whedon, John Cassaday: 9780785161943: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785122540/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Astonishing X-Men, Vol. 4: Unstoppable: Joss Whedon, John Cassaday: 9780785122548: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785161953/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection Book 2: Joss Whedon, John Cassaday: 9780785161950: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/comicshack" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Comic Shack</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/quit" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Quit!</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1596434465/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Zita the Spacegirl: Ben Hatke: 9781596434462: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life: Anne Lamott: 9780385480017: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590307941/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Library) (9781590307946): Natalie Goldberg: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00AN2YEKM/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">The Truth Beyond the Sky (The Epic of Aravinda): Andrew M. Crusoe: Amazon.com: Kindle Store</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/" class="link" target="_blank">Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobayashi_Maru" class="link" target="_blank">Kobayashi Maru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/7" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #7: Vocational Wheel</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/baldwinsbeans" class="link" target="_blank">Baldwin's Beans (baldwinsbeans) on Twitter</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1607066017/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Saga, Vol. 1: Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples: 9781607066019: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Saga/comics-series/7587" class="link" target="_blank">Saga Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073802/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" class="link" target="_blank">Three Days of the Condor (1975) - IMDb</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002UPQ1OC/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: I Started Out As a Child: Bill Cosby: Music</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002KA3/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right!: Bill Cosby: Music</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002UPQ1PG/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: To Russell My Brother, Whom I Slept With: Bill Cosby: Music</a><br /></li></ul>

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Troubleshooting for Saner GTD</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin wrap up their epic summer crossover series on David Allen's book <em>Getting Things Done</em>, focusing on the trouble spots, hang-ups, and occasional rat holes that people often encounter in implementing and maintaining their GTD system.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.comixology.com/Saga-1/digital-comic/JAN120485" class="link" target="_blank">Saga #1 - Comics by comiXology [Get it FREE!!!]</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://huffduffer.com/merlinmann/94970" class="link" target="_blank">[Huffduffer MP3] Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen (2006)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/frequency/45" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Frequency #45: Something of a Hipster Geek</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/27/does-this-next-action-belong-someplace-else" class="link" target="_blank">Does this "next action" belong someplace else? | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/29/mental-dialogues-yak-shaving-the-triumph-of-the-mini-review" class="link" target="_blank">Mental dialogues, yak-shaving & the triumph of the 'mini-review' | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/thedebut/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] OmniFocus 2 Debut</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://mailchimp.com/5by5" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Email Marketing and Email List Manager | MailChimp</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2006/11/28/productive-talk-comp" class="link" target="_blank">Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2005/05/31/fractal-implementation-or-on-the-dangers-of-david-allens-finger" class="link" target="_blank">Fractal Implementation, or, On the Dangers of David Allen's Finger | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2006/07/24/b2gtd-mind-sweep" class="link" target="_blank">Back to GTD: Do a fast "mind-sweep" | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2006/07/31/simplify-contexts" class="link" target="_blank">Back to GTD: Simplify your contexts | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2006/10/01/priorities-vacuum" class="link" target="_blank">GTD: Priorities don't exist in a vacuum | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2006/10/15/look-into" class="link" target="_blank">6 powerful "look into" verbs (+ 1 to avoid) | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/12/30/a-year-of-getting-things-done-part-2-the-stuff-i-wish-i-were-better-at" class="link" target="_blank">A Year of Getting Things Done: Part 2, The Stuff I Wish I Were Better At | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2008/02/19/43-folders-best-gtd" class="link" target="_blank">43 Folders: Best of GTD | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/thesetup/" class="link" target="_blank">The OmniFocus Setup</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/omni-plans-for-2013" class="link" target="_blank">Omni’s Plans for 2013 - Blog - The Omni Group</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlinmann/comics/view?viewCollection=in-collection" class="link" target="_blank">Collectorz.com Connect: merlinmann: My Comics</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Complete Marvel Comics Reading Order | Marvel Comics in Order</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.chronologyproject.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Marvel Chronology Project - Main</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publication_history_of_Marvel_comics_crossover_events" class="link" target="_blank">Publication history of Marvel comics crossover events - Wikipedia,

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Working <em>Getting Things Done</em> to stay current, complete, <em>and</em> creative.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20"><em>Getting Things Done</em></a> system.</p> <p>Learning how to leverage GTD's modality to firewall time for guilt-free creative work.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/95" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #95: She's Five for a Living</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/96" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #96: Compensatory Muscles</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/97" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #97: Pope of the Office</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.davidco.com/" class="link" target="_blank">David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.davidco.com/about-gtd" class="link" target="_blank">About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_things_done" class="link" target="_blank">Getting Things Done - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.minezone.org/wiki/MVance/GettingThingsDone" class="link" target="_blank">GettingThingsDone - MineZone Wiki</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/getting-things-done-the-art-of-stress-free-productivity/oclc/44868871&referer=brief_results" class="link" target="_blank">Getting things done : the art of stress-free productivity (Book, 2001) [WorldCat.org]</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/08/getting-started-with-getting-things-done" class="link" target="_blank">Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Trigger_List" class="link" target="_blank">Trigger List - 43FoldersWiki</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlinmann/comics/view?viewCollection=in-collection" class="link" target="_blank">Collectorz.com Connect: merlinmann: My Comics</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlinmann/comics/detail/1830259" class="link" target="_blank">All New X-Men #1C in merlinmann's Comic Collector Connect collection</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://skottieyoung.tumblr.com/" class="link" target="_blank">Skottie Young (on Tumblr)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://connect.collectorz.com/users/merlinmann/comics/detail/1850088" class="link" target="_blank">FF, Vol. 2 #1A - Parts of a Hole in merlinmann's Comic Collector Connect collection</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.ting.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Ting - Mobile That Makes Sense</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/thesetup/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] The Omni Group - "The OmniFocus Setup" - Jan 31, 2013 in San Francisco</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website with Squarespace</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/37999336904/image" class="link" target="_blank">Image Firsts A delightfully dark and wonderfully... | kung fu grippe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/38187425310/cmon" class="link" target="_blank">Fantastic Four #575 The Ben Love The Ben. Love... | kung fu grippe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclitus" class="link" target="_blank">Heraclitus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmenides" class="link" target="_blank">Parmenides - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521845912/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">The Texts of Early Greek Philosophy: The Complete Fragments and Selected Testimonies of the Major Presocratics: Daniel W. Graham: 9780521845915: Amazon.com: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2012/sep/24/in-the-valley-of-the-shadow-of-doubt/" class="link" target="_blank"&g

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Using GTD to sanely and intelligently decide what to do, and when, and where.</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20"><em>Getting Things Done</em></a> system.</p> <p>Hopping over the basic workflow and setup (you'll definitely need the book for that), this is all about <em><strong>doing</strong></em>—leveraging the horizontal and vertical axes of GTD to intuitively choose <em>exactly the right task</em> at any given moment.</p> <p>Regardless of interruptions, regardless of unexpected change, and regardless of what you're mindfully <strong>not</strong> doing.</p> <p>David Allen calls GTD, "The Art of Stress-Free Productivity," and this is the episode where you'll find out how having put this system in place can yield astronomical improvements in how your actual <em>things get done</em>.</p> <p><strong>Also included</strong>: a teaser for January's "iTunes management" series, plus recommendations for the three best comic series Merlin read this week.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_things_done" class="link" target="_blank">Getting Things Done - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br />Getting Things Done is a book by productivity consultant David Allen that describes the method/procedure that he created with the same title name, often referred to simply as GTD. The Getting Things Done method rests on the idea that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them externally, so the mind is free from the job of remembering the tasks that need to be completed. One can then concentrate on performing the tasks, instead of remembering. </li><li><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/getting-things-done-the-art-of-stress-free-productivity/oclc/44868871&referer=brief_results" class="link" target="_blank">Getting things done : the art of stress-free productivity (Book, 2001) [WorldCat.org]</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Trigger_List" class="link" target="_blank">Trigger List - 43FoldersWiki</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.minezone.org/wiki/MVance/GettingThingsDone" class="link" target="_blank">GettingThingsDone - MineZone Wiki</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books</a><br />From core principles to proven tricks, Getting Things Done can transform the way you work, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down. </li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/08/getting-started-with-getting-things-done" class="link" target="_blank">Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.davidco.com/" class="link" target="_blank">David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.davidco.com/about-gtd" class="link" target="_blank">About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®</a><br />GTD® is the shorthand brand for "Getting Things Done®," the groundbreaking work-life management system by David Allen that provides concrete solutions for transforming overwhelm and uncertainty into an integrated system of stress-free productivity. </li><li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=gtd+workflow+map+pdf&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=CvS0UJvZMsnNigLfooDABw&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1014&bih=1141#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=gtd+workflow+map+pdf&oq=gtd+workflow+map+pdf&gs_l=img.12...0." class="link" target="_blank">gtd workflow map pdf - Google Search</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://smilesoftware.com/b2w" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] PDFpen: Mac and iOS - Edit, Sign, and Correct PDFs</a><br />PDFpen: Mac PDF Editor - Edit, Sign, and Correct PDFs - PDFpen is a powerful Mac PDF editor: add text, images, and signatures to PDFs, make corrections on a PDF, fill out PDF forms, OCR scanned pages. </li><li><a href="http://hover.com/dansentme" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Hover - domain name and email management made simple</a><br />Welcome to Hover. We simplify domain management. Get yourself a great domain name. &

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: A Better System for Dealing with Life's "Stuff"</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20"><em>Getting Things Done</em></a>.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2005/05/31/fractal-implementation-or-on-the-dangers-of-david-allens-finger" class="link" target="_blank">Fractal Implementation, or, On the Dangers of David Allen's Finger | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2005/06/28/beginners-mind-metropolis-and-all-our-unnecessary-parts" class="link" target="_blank">Beginner's Mind, Metropolis, and all our unnecessary parts | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/08/getting-started-with-getting-things-done" class="link" target="_blank">Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flycut-clipboard-manager/id442160987?mt=12" class="link" target="_blank">Mac App Store - Flycut (Clipboard manager)</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatrical_superstitions" class="link" target="_blank">Theatrical superstitions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.davidco.com/about-gtd" class="link" target="_blank">About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/" class="link" target="_blank">WorldCat.org: The World's Largest Library Catalog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/37196663886/67-points-of-articulation" class="link" target="_blank">kung fu grippe • 67 Points of Articulation. [Merlin's Amazing Spider-Man]</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.craphound.com/lifehacksetcon04.txt" class="link" target="_blank">Life Hacks: Tech Secrets of Overprolific Alpha Geeks (11 February, 2004)</a><br />Notes from Danny's session at O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference; 11 February, 2004; San Diego, CA </li><li><a href="http://5by5.ting.com" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Ting</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.studioneat.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Studio Neat</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/b2w/95" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | Back to Work #95: She's Five for a Living</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Trigger_List" class="link" target="_blank">Trigger List - 43FoldersWiki</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/40384/you-can-do-anything-not-everything" class="link" target="_blank">You can do anything - but not everything. | Fast Company</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2005/sep/29/businesssense.businesssense" class="link" target="_blank">Meet the man who can bring order to your universe | Technology | The Guardian</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.minezone.org/wiki/MVance/GettingThingsDone" class="link" target="_blank">GettingThingsDone - MineZone Wiki</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2006/11/28/productive-talk-comp" class="link" target="_blank">[AUDIO] Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/17/next-actions-both-physical-and-visible" class="link" target="_blank">Next actions: Both physical AND visible | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/12/29/a-year-of-getting-things-done-part-1-the-good-stuff" class="link" target="_blank">A Year of Getting Things Done: Part 1, The Good Stuff | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/12/30/a-year-of-getting-things-done-part-2-the-stuff-i-wish-i-were-better-at" class="link" target="_blank">A Year of Getting Things Done: Part 2, The Stuff I Wish I Were Better At | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2005/02/09/systems-ciphers-and-the-dirty-little-se

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: Intro to David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” </p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin start a long-overdue three-part <em>storyline</em> on David Allen’s book, <em>Getting Things Done</em>.<a href="#fn:1" id="fnref:1" title="see footnote" class="footnote">[1]</a> </p> <p>How do you unwad that giant crapball of <em>stuff</em> you call a life? The answer is simple, but it’s not so easy. You need a trusted system in which to collect, process, review, and—yes—<strong>do</strong> all the things that matter. </p> <p><em>Getting Things Done</em> is inarguably one of the best and most influential self-help books of all time for a good reason: it’s a candid, realistic, and painfully honest way to get out of your hole, and then stay out. </p> <p>This week, we start with the philosophical and psychological underpinnings of GTD, as well as the myriad and thorny problems it can help you address. </p> <p>So, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20">pick up your own copy of GTD</a>, read it through, then join us for a detailed tour of the system that changed Merlin’s game and helped <a href="http://www.43folders.com/topics/getting-things-done">jumpstart</a> his online career. </p> <div class="footnotes"> <hr /> <ol> <li id="fn:1"> <p>©DavidCo, 2001. <a href="#fnref:1" title="return to article" class="reversefootnote"> ↩</a></p> </li> </ol> </div> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0142000280/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/08/getting-started-with-getting-things-done" class="link" target="_blank">Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.43folders.com/topics/getting-things-done" class="link" target="_blank">Getting Things Done | 43 Folders</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.davidco.com/" class="link" target="_blank">David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.davidco.com/about-gtd" class="link" target="_blank">About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=gtd+workflow+map+pdf&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=CvS0UJvZMsnNigLfooDABw&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1014&bih=1141#q=gtd+workflow+map+pdf&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&tbm=isch&source=lnt&tbs=imgo:1&sa=X&ei=EfS0UK-FH8_oigK" class="link" target="_blank">gtd workflow map pdf - Google Search</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.diyplanner.com/node/8721" class="link" target="_blank">New GTD Workflow Map | D*I*Y Planner</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://ideas2followup.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/gtd-workflow.jpg" class="link" target="_blank">[IMG] gtd-workflow.jpg (1051×1630)</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo7vUdKTlhk" class="link" target="_blank">[VIDEO] David Allen: Getting Things Done - YouTube</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Stock Photos and Royalty-Free Images by Subscription - Shutterstock</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com/backtowork" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Build a Website - Squarespace 6</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://hover.com/5by5" class="link" target="_blank">[SPONSOR] Hover - domain name and email management made simple</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007VL8Y2C/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 for Mac/iPad/iPhone (920-003884): Computers & Accessories</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.zappos.com/clarks-desert-boot~3" class="link" target="_blank">Clarks Desert Boot - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/jxpx777" class="link" target="_blank">Jamie Phelps (jxpx777) on Twitter</a><br /></li><li><a href="https://secure.jo

<p><strong>TOPIC</strong>: How to be a proper list-maker</p> <p>This week, Dan and Merlin discuss the pros and cons of lighting your environment properly, how we fall into bad list making habits and how to solve these issues. Also, Merlin makes some sounds for your enjoyment.</p> <p>Links for this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="http://blog.squarespace.com/blog/devlin-and-aviator" class="link" target="_blank">New Business Templates: Aviator and Devlin — The Official Squarespace Blog</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://5by5.tv/conversation/27" class="link" target="_blank">5by5 | The Conversation #27: Missionless Statements</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&searchterm=hammock&search_group=&orient=&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=" class="link" target="_blank">Hammock Stock Photos, Hammock Stock Photography, Hammock Stock Images : Shutterstock.com</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001I45XL8/5by5-20" class="link" target="_blank">Amazon.com: Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device: Health & Personal Care</a><br /></li></ul><p><a href="http://shutterstock.com" title="Stock Photos | Shutterstock: Royalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography.">Shutterstock</a> (use code "dansentme10" for 30% off), <a href="http://5by5.ting.com" title="Ting - Mobile That Makes Sense">Ting</a> ($50 off your first device for <em>Back to Work</em> listeners), and <a href="http://squarespace.com/backtowork" title="Everything you need to make an amazing website. Squarespace is a fully hosted, completely managed environment for creating and maintaining a beautiful website, blog, or portfolio.">Squarespace</a> (use code "broastedbird" for 10% off).</p>